One beat. 64 bars. No hooks, no chorus, no second chances. For the first time, the Red Bull 64 Bars Booth Tour has crowned four winners: Uncle D (Johannesburg), Aquarius13 (Durban), J-STYLE (Pretoria) and Kimo Savage (Cape Town).
The four winners recently performed their winning 64 Bars on the Back to the City stage, one of the biggest events on Southern Africa’s hip-hop calendar, in front of a live audience deeply connected to the culture. Later this year, they will record the Red Bull 64 Bars Booth Tour 2026 Season EP with gold-selling producer and engineer Shaney Jay and producer Herc Cut The Lights, bringing four distinct sounds together on one project.
Previous winners include inaugural champion SirBelow Worldwide (2024) and Thaboow Thimmy (2025), who went on to record with MashBeats. In 2026, the format expanded from one winner to four, creating more opportunities for emerging artists to showcase their talent and take the next step in their careers.
WHAT THE PRODUCERS WERE LOOKING FOR?
For Shaney Jay, who helped produce the music for this year’s tour, originality came first: distinctive flows, individual identities and something fresh to add to hip-hop.
“What I was looking for, even from the workshops, was someone different, with a unique flow, something we haven’t seen before. Especially at a time when there’s a lot of music that sounds the same, how do we find someone who enters the competition with a vibe we’ve never seen?” says Shaney Jay.
Then winning mechanism – it’s important to clarify that the criteria was that there would be a winner per beat who would then form part of the EP – I’ve highlighted a paragraph in yellow because it explains it incorrectly and refers to winner per city which is a happy coincidence rather than the planned execution – please adjust accordingly and resend when you can.
“There were so many dope entries from each province. It made the process even harder,” he says. “We need more of these, especially for the hip-hop culture. Even the ones who didn’t win are getting opportunities, with big producers and artists asking to collaborate with them.”
MEET THE FOUR WINNERS
Johannesburg: Uncle D
Mhleli Chiliza, 21, from Durban and now based in Johannesburg, blends isiZulu and English. He won at The Playground in Braamfontein with “Grand Finale”, over a Herc Cut The Lights beat.
“Winning Red Bull 64 Bars feels like a dream. I honestly thought I wasn’t going to win. I’m looking forward to more success, and doing more work with the brand,” says Uncle D.
Durban: Aquarius13
Thokozani Happiness Msani, 28, from Umlazi, won at the Florida Road Basketball Courts with her performance over “Rapid”.
“It feels like God really came through for me. Finally, people are seeing that I am truly serious about this music thing. I have been pushing for so long, so getting that number one spot, I feel like I really deserved it and it’s just the beginning,” she says. “I want to shoot proper music videos, travel to other cities to collaborate with other artists. Most importantly, I want my music to start paying me so I can sustain myself through what I love.”
Pretoria: J-STYLE
Scelo Junior Mashao, 22, from Mamelodi, combines raw emotion, fun and a strong sense of identity. He took the title at 012 Central over “Heavyweight”.
“I was a bit in disbelief because I tried and failed in this quest of creating, so winning felt like the slumps were more worth it. After crumbling under pressure the first time, winning this felt like redemption as well,” says J-STYLE.
Cape Town: Kimo Savage
Thabiso Sange Njozela, 21, draws on current affairs and personal history. He won at Y?GEN Apparel in Wynberg with his performance over “Championship”.
“Winning the Red Bull 64 Bars Booth challenge feels great and fun, because it marks that I am going in the right direction towards my goals as a rapper. I am looking to elevate myself and my career through it, as it brings attention around my career,” says Kimo Savage.
To follow the winners and the Season EP, visit redbull.com/64bars or follow @redbullza on social media.
