Fifi Cooper | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Refilwe Boingotlo Moeketsi |
| Also known as | Motswako First lady |
| Born | 24 October 1991 Montshiwa, Mahikeng, North West, South Africa [1] |
| Genres | Motswako, R&B, hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | singer-songwriter, rapper |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels |
|
Refilwe Boingotlo Moeketsi (born 24 October 1991), known professionally as Fifi Cooper is a South African recording artist. [2] [3] Fifi Cooper started her music career as an R&B singer before her musical versatility saw her release her breakthrough rap single "Chechela Morago" in 2010. [4] In 2015, she released her award-winning debut studio album 20FIFI . [5] [6]
Fifi Cooper is the last of three children. She had her early education in Montshiwa, Mahikeng, South Africa, where she also harnessed her ability in singing and dancing. She completed her secondary school education at Batswana High School, Mahikeng and her higher education at Boston Media House where she studied Media. [7] [8]
Fifi Cooper began singing at the age of 8 while in primary school; participating in various social extra-curricula activities. She professionally started her music career in 2008 when she made a guest appearance on Mo'Molemi's Motzamai: Rebel With a Pause album. Her breakthrough however came in 2010 following the release of her single titled "Chechela Morago", a rap song that received massive airplay and did well to gain her new grounds in the South African music industry. [9] [10] Fifi Cooper also made vocal appearances in the remix of AKA's "Baddest Remix" single, Mo'Molemi's album titled Asia, Khuli Chana's Lost in Time and Lection's Gentlemen's Club. [7]
In 2015, Fifi Cooper signed a recording contract with Ambitiouz Entertainment, a South Africa-based record label. In early 2015, she released an AB Crazy-produced song titled "Kisses". The music video for "Kisses" was directed by Dino Benedetti and was released on YouTube on 24 May 2015.
On 13 November 2015, Fifi Cooper released 20FIFI , her debut studio album which won three awards at the 15th Metro FM Music Awards [11] and was further nominated in the "Best Newcomer of The Year" and "Best Female Artist of The Year" categories at the 2nd edition of the South African Music Awards. [12] In February 2017, Fifi Cooper departed from Ambitiouz Entertainment along with A-Reece and the hip hop duo B3nchMarQ. [13] [14]
After the departure from her former record label, she founded her own record label Mo Cooper records and later then released her first album under her very own record label. The 21 track album titled "Take Me Back" which includes hit songs such as "Freedom & "Zwagala", features the likes of Thabsie, Moozlie, Towdeemac and Leon Lee to name a few. [15]
In November 2020, Fifi Cooper released her first single "Net So" off of her upcoming 2021 album titled Chapters. The music video for "Net So" which was shot by Mo Cooper Visuals, is also written & directed by The Boss Lady herself. On 11 March 2021, her single "Motlogeleng" was released. [16] The song will serve as lead single from her upcoming album.
Regarded by the local media as the "Motswako first lady", Fifi Coopers' musical versatility can see her rap and sing. Credited as the vocalist on Khuli Chana's hit single "Mnatebawen", she does the hip hop and Motswako genres of music. [17] In an interview with YoMzansi, Fifi Cooper describes her style of rap as "unpredictable, punchy and hearty". [18]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| 20FIFI |
|
| Take Me Back |
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZA | |||||||
| "Truth or Dare 2.0" | 2016 | — | |||||
| "Stop (Coke Studio South Africa: Season 2)" (Fifi Cooper, Ryki) | — | ||||||
| "Phambili" | — | ||||||
| "Take Me Back" | 2017 | — | |||||
| "Zwagala" (featuring Obakeng Moribe) | 2018 | — | |||||
| "Net So" | 2020 | — | |||||
| "Motlogeleng" | 2021 | — | |||||
| "Ngeke" (featuring Lwah Ndlunkulu) | 2023 | — | |||||
| "Running" (featuring Swift1520) | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
Fifi Cooper is a single mother, she has a son named Resego. [17]
 |
| Year | Award ceremony | Prize | Work/Recipient | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 15th Metro FM Music Awards | Best Newcomer | Herself | Won | [20] |
| Best Produced Album | 20FIFI | Won | [20] | ||
| Best Female Album | Won | [21] | |||
| 2016 | 22nd South African Music Awards | Newcomer of the Year | Herself | Nominated | [22] |
| Female Artist of the Year | Nominated | [22] | |||
| 2023 | Basadi in Music Awards | Hip Hop Artist of the Year | "Ngeke" featuring Lwah Ndlunkulu | Nominated | [23] [24] |
Motswako is a subgenre of hip hop originating from South Africa additionally prominently popularized in Botswana. Mafikeng, the genre's origin point, is located close to the border of Botswana, where Setswana (Tswana) is predominantly spoken similar to Mafikeng. Motswako blends rap lyrics in local languages like Setswana with English over a steady beat. It also incorporates languages such as Sesotho, Zulu and Afrikaans depending on the artist's background. Popularized by South African acts like HHP and Baphixile in the late nineties, it gained a significant following among local audiences. Many emerging artists in South Africa use motswako as a foundation for their music careers due to its accessible principles, emphasizing creative writing skills crucial for mastering the genre. South Africa and Botswana boast a substantial pool of motswako artists, although female representation remains limited.
Mthembeni Ndevu, professionally known by his stage name Emtee is a South African rapper.Regarded as one of the best and most influential figures in the South African music scene .He was born and grew up in Rockville, Soweto, where he was involved in talent shows. His career began at the age of 17, and his debut hit single, "Roll Up" was released in 2015. Emtee was signed to Ambitiouz Entertainment, released his debut album Avery (2015), which was commercially successful and was eventually certified platinum by Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA).
Avery is the debut studio album by South African rapper and singer Emtee, released on 4 December 2015, through Ambitiouz Entertainment.
Khulane Morule, better known by his stage name Khuli Chana, is a South African Motswako rapper.
The 15th installment of the annual Metro FM Music Awards is an award ceremony in the South African music industry honouring musicians who did exceedingly well in their field throughout 2015. The show first aired on SABC 1 on February 27, 2016.
Ambitiouz Entertainment is a South African independent record label owned and founded by Kgosi Mahumapelo. The label was founded in April 2015 and houses notable acts including, G-Star Da Hustler, Burning Crew Kid Tini and Kiddest Gola.
20FIFI is the debut studio album of South African recording artist Fifi Cooper. It was released on 13 November 2015 under Ambitiouz Entertainment.
The 22nd Annual South African Music Awards was held on 4 June 2016 at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, Durban, South Africa and was hosted by Somizi Mhlongo and Thando Thabethe. The nominees were announced on 21 April 2016 with Nathi, Emtee, Zonke Dikana, and Riky Rick topping the list with four nominations each. Nathi garnered the most awards with five while Black Coffee came closest by claiming four awards.
Nkosinathi Mankayi, professionally known as Nathi, is a South African singer-songwriter.
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Jabulani Hadebe, known professionally as Sjava, is a South African singer, rapper, and actor. He began his acting career in 2005, starring in several drama series and films including uGugu no Andile (2009). He then rose to prominence on the drama series Zone 14, where he starred for three consecutive seasons, Isibaya and the second season of eHostela. Sjava ventured into the music industry and signed to record label Ambitiouz Entertainment. He gained mainstream popularity after he was featured on Miss Pru's acclaimed song "Ameni" in 2015.
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Genesis Gabriella Tina Manney, known professionally as Gigi Lamayne, is a South African rapper.
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Busisiwe Thwala, is a South African singer-songwriter and actress prominently known under the alias of Cici who gained recognition in late 2015 subsequent to the release of her single "Runaway".
"Ameni" is a single by South African DJ and record producer Miss Pru DJ released on 16 April 2016 through Ambitiouz Entertainment, features guest appearances from Sjava, Emtee, Saudi, Fifi Cooper, A-Reece and B3nchmarQ with production from Tweezy, Lunatik Beats, Emtee and Ruff.
| Authority control databases: Artists |
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