He was a judge on the first season of Vuzu's hip hop talent search show, "The Hustle", and now rapper AKA returns to the show as executive producer of its second. According to TshisaLIVE, his new role includes concept development as well as working on the ideas for the challenges that the contestants must compete in on the show. Yesterday, the rapper kicked off his work on the new season by announcing that he was watching the audition tapes to select the latest round of contestants.
The show follows aspiring rappers who participate in a number of challenges throughout the duration of the show until — by a process of elimination — the winner is chosen. Previous contestants include Shane Eagle, Bigstar Johnson, Cass and Mopheme, who all had their careers in the South African hip hop industry launched on the show.
After his Thai "baecation" with girlfriend Bonang Matheba, the South African hitmaker seems to be shifting gears and taking on more projects on the business side of the music industry as well. "It feels great to have this opportunity! I was an important part of the first season of the show and I really felt that I had so much to give. So, to now be able to impart more of my knowledge of the industry in my new role is a great thing for me," he told TshisaLIVE.
While his new role sees him taking on new aspects of the show's direction, he will also remain a judge for this season. As both executive producer and judge, AKA believes he is doing his part in fostering fresh young talent in the South African hip hop industry. "I have always been invested in helping young artists get a platform for exposure," he said.
After he announced his split from Vth Season record label in October 2016, AKA set up his own company to manage his business ventures. He is currently the only artist signed to the label and plans to keep it that way for the foreseeable future, saying that he will not be using the latest season of "The Hustle" to find new talent to sign.