Yanga (real name Yanga Sakhumzi Ntshakaza) has been a musical force to be reckoned with from an early age, thriving in everything arts and culture-related when he was a kid, slaying school Eisteddfods, winning Gold Awards, and even being cast as the lead in a play when he was in Grade 4. Developing a keen interest in, and love for, music courtesy of his father’s fondness for R&B and soul icons like Teddy Pendegrass, Barry White and Luther Vandross, it was Yanga’s older brother who introduced him to hip hop through Eminem’s debut album. This ignited the hip hop spark in him and ultimately, was how Yanga Chief was born.