Major League Djz

Major League DJz are a South African duo whose energetic dance tracks blend kwaito, amapiano, and other Afro-beat genres with American hip-hop. Identical twin brothers Bandile and Banele Mbere grew up in Boston before returning to their family’s native country and forging careers as party organizers and eventually DJs. In the latter half of the 2010s, they were at the forefront of the new age kwaito movement, releasing a series of respected mixtapes and EPs including the 2019 Focalistic collaboration Ase Trap Tse Ke Pina Tsa Ko Kasi. In the 2020s, they leaned more heavily into amapiano and subsequently signed a global deal with Atlantic Records. Collaborations with Major Lazer, Black Coffee, Tiwa Savage, and more followed, as did international appearances at Coachella Festival and a sold-out show at London’s O2 Academy. Identical twin brothers Bandile and Banele Mbere were born into an exiled South African family living in Boston, Massachusetts. Their parents were associated with well-known anti-apartheid exiles like Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba who helped provide the brothers with an early education on South Africa’s rich musical traditions. Following the breakup of the apartheid regime in the early ’90s, their family moved back to Johannesburg, and they became involved in the local music scene, first organizing dance parties, then later DJ’ing and producing their own music. Starting in the 2010s, the Mbere brothers began fusing their love of American hip-hop with kwaito and Afro-beat music, releasing a series of popular mixtapes that helped establish them within South Africa’s electronic music scene. They launched a live series called Major League Gardens, which also featured acts like Busiswah, Focalistic, and A-Reece. In the late 2010s, they were among the leading proponents of the new age kwaito scene, which gave the regional house subgenre a more youthful feel. Their 2019 EP with Focalistic, Ase Trap Tse Ke Pina Tsa Ko Kasi, drew particular acclaim, after which they shifted their sound to favor the emerging amapiano movement. In 2020, they released two amapiano-influenced albums in quick succession, Pianochella and What’s the Levol, then followed them in 2021 with another full-length, Outside. These albums featured a variety of guests, including Riky Rick, LuuDaDeejay, Stunna, and Vibro Deep. With their regular Major League Gardens shows on hold, they launched a new series called Balcony Mix, collaborating with acts like Major Lazer, Tyler ICU, and Kabza De Small. After signing with Atlantic in 2022, Major League DJz grew their international audience with appearances at Coachella in California and a headlining show at O2 Academy in Brixton, England. A 2023 release, Piano Republik, saw the duo teaming up with Major Lazer again, then issuing another edition of their Balcony Mix series. They also continued releasing singles like 2024’s “Mine for the Night” with Wiz Khalifa. ~ Timothy Monger