Sandile Brian Zulu, known by stage name BOXIS, won Best MC category at this year's Back To The City festival.
|||Who is Boxis?
Sandile Brian Zulu (21), better known by his stage name BOXIS, is an up and coming hip hop artist, writer and performer. Born and raised in Hammarsdale he developed an early interest in hip hop music and culture listening to the likes of EMINEM, Abdus, Pro KID and Amu. I
In 2009 he started taking his lyrical talents in the hip hop genera further as a rapper and began recording his own music. Mainly driven by the will to share his life stories, educate and entertain through hip hop he has already caught the attention of the more established artists in the game sharing the stage with artists the likes of Zakwe, Duncan, Abdus and Beast to name the few.
After matriculating at Uxolophambili High School (Hammarsdale) in 2012, the young hip hop artist enrolled with the Mangosuthu University of Technology (Durban) the following year for a qualification in Mechanical Engineering currently completing his S4 level.
In 2014 he dropped his first mixtape project "The Arrival" which featured formidable underground hip hop artist the likes of Mthinayi Tsunam, Young Cannibal and Destiny to name a few. The project achieved a lot independently having no distribution deal. He has also done a number of features including "Ubani Wena" ft Rare Breed, "Sbenza Bavume" ft S.B.O, "Lala Ngok'thula" ft MC Killer and Vocal Brothers.
On the 19th of July 2013 he had an interview on Ukhozi FM with Sthandwa Nzuza, Moja Pooh & Sbo Fokol where he signed off with a live-on-air performance. The invitation came after he had won the Rep Your Lokshin Hip Hop Battle Competition on 13 July 2013, an annual competition organised by Dubane State Of Mind.
Inanda 88.4 FM's DJ Adeeh invited BOXIS to feature as a guest artist on his hip hop show "THE HOOD UP" on the 2nd of November 2013. He had an opportunity to share his Music Journey as an Artist, writer and a performer with his Inanda 88.4 FM fans and also blessed them with a live-on-air freestyle performance where the beat was provided by station.
In 2014 the more established Durban-based radio stations started picking up on BOXIS' scent and on the 10th of January 2014 Ukhozi FM invited him for a second time to join the studio with Khathide "Tshatha" Ngobe, Moja Pooh & Sbo Fokol .This appearance on Ukhozi FM drew an enormous hype for BOXIS, the station has one of the country's biggest audience and internationally based listeners who had the opportunity to listen to a glimpse of BOXIS' hip hop talent.
Gagasi FM was hooked on his hip hop talent and he was invited by the station to appear on two consecutive Thursdays, the 5th of June 2014 with Dj Lab and Ninja X and the 12th of June 2014 with Thandolwethu and TP. The two appearances gave BOXIS an even bigger platform to share his talent to the millions of listeners hosted by the station.
In 2015 BOXIS visited Inanda FM and Ukhozi FM for interviews following the release of the first single "Ubumnandi ft Ragga-Ish (Prod. Brave)" from his 1st EP project.
After making it to the voting stages of the Play 10K Challenge at this year's Back To The City festival BOXIS went for an interview on Gagasi FM with Thandolwethu and TP calling out to all hip hop fans to push for votes and getting the chance to represent the province alongside Ash and King Junior. And after all the votes were tallied BOXIS had the second highest votes, a clear indication of the solid fan base this young rapper has created for himself.
In 2013 BOXIS bagged the Annual Rep Your Lokshin Hip Hop Battle Competition hosted by the Dubane State of Mind.
At the 6st Annual Original Material Awards 2014 BOXIS received 5 nominations i.e. Best New Comer, Best Lyricist, MC of The Year, Best Mixtape and Best Sleeve.
2016 has proved to be the year for BOXIS having recently won the PLAY 10K Challenge Best MC category at this year's Back To The City festival on the 27th of April being the first male MC to achieve this milestone coming from KwaZulu-Natal.
BOXIS is currently working on his 1st EP project due to drop later this year 2016.
Siyabonga Sithole