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Quick Facts
Born
1981
1981
From
Tanzania, United Republic of
Tanzania, United Republic of
Journey
Stogie T, born Boitumelo Molekane on 16 August 1981 in Tanzania, is a South African rapper, poet, songwriter, and cultural commentator. He was born while his parents were in exile during apartheid and moved to Johannesburg in 1992, where he grew up in Soweto.
He started out in the late 1990s under the names MC Fatboy and later Tumi, becoming part of Johannesburg’s underground hip-hop movement. His early breakthrough came with the collective P.E.R.M., which released "APT: An Artistic Representation of Truth" in 2001. In the same period, he released "The Tao of Tumi" and a poetry book titled "The Black Inside Out".
He later formed Tumi and the Volume with musicians linked to 340ml. The group combined hip-hop with live instrumentation and released "At the Bassline" (2004), "Tumi and the Volume" (2006), and "Pick A Dream" (2010). They toured across Africa, Europe, and North America and performed alongside or within circles that included Massive Attack, The Roots, Chinese Man, and Saul Williams.
In 2006, he started Motif Records, an independent platform for hip-hop releases and artist development. Through it, he released "Music From My Good Eye" and worked with younger artists in the underground space.
After the group split in 2012, he adopted the name Stogie T. His self-titled album "Stogie T" came out in 2016 and featured artists like Nasty C, Emtee, Nadia Nakai, Da L.E.S, and Yanga Chief. Tracks such as "Diamond Walk", "Big Dreams", and "Clean Stuff" introduced him to a broader audience while keeping his writing style intact.
He later released "Whole Worlds" (2009), "Return of the King" (2015), "Honey and Pain" (2018), "Shallow" (2024), and "Anomy" (2025). His work focuses on social issues, identity, politics, personal reflection, and African realities.
Outside music, he has worked in media and education spaces, including as a judge on "The Hustle". He has also spoken on artist rights, publishing, and the structure of the music industry, and has represented African creatives at international forums such as WIPO.
In 2021, he signed with Def Jam Africa during its expansion on the continent. In 2026, his collaboration "Four Horsemen" with A-Reece, Nasty C, and Maggz won Best Hip-Hop at the Metro FM Music Awards.