Hailing from the townships of Gqeberha, where concrete streets echo with rhythm and resilience, one young Xhosa rapper is steadily rewriting his future through craft.
Lunga Mankayi, known to his growing fan base as EmpireMusiqSA, is part of a new generation of Eastern Cape artists proving that authentic hip-hop doesn’t need gloss or gimmicks to resonate. It just needs truth. And truth is something he carries in abundance.
His journey began in 2010, long before the studio lights and stage smoke. Back then, he was simply Young Ross, the kid from Gqeberha, who formed a rap crew with three friends under the name BNK’s Black Nonstop Kings.
The crew of four — 2Traq, Siya, Phiro, and Lunga — spent their teenage years sharpening verses, dreaming big, and building a foundation that would later fuel Lunga’s solo evolution.
As his musical identity grew, so did the name that would define him. A friend from Zwide began calling him “Empire”, a name he initially brushed off but eventually embraced.
When it came time to register his music through SAMRO and RISA, however, the single name “Empire” wasn’t accepted. So he built on it, adding “MusiqSA”, and a new identity was born: EmpireMusiqSA.
But like most meaningful journeys, his path hasn’t been linear.
The breakthrough moment for his upcoming album, Luphawu Lothando, came unexpectedly.
Producer Dope Nick had crafted a beat titled Dreams, even recording a chorus for it, but EmpireMusiqSA couldn’t find the right words at the time.
Months later, during a studio session with long-time collaborator MsojaMan, the beat resurfaced. MsojaMan insisted they record it. EmpireMusiqSA agreed, carrying with him a promise he made to his mother, the late Phoziswa Veto, that he would make something of his gift.
“Everything is finally falling into place,” he shared, reflecting on the song. “I promised my mother I’d make it, and now I’m close.”
Dope Nick and MsojaMan have remained his anchors, especially after his early partners stepped away from music. They believed in him, challenged him, and kept him grounded, reminders that community is often the backbone of artistry.
The heart of his upcoming album is deeply personal.
The title is named after his son, Luphawu Lothando, who represents a new purpose, a new responsibility, and a new kind of motivation.
“He must know how much his father loves him,” Mankayi said. “One day he’ll be able to brag about what his father built.”
Musically, his DNA is rooted in Spaza Hip-Hop, a Cape Town-born genre defined by its rawness and unfiltered storytelling. He grew up on the voices of NakedMynds, 300 Years, and Ratex, artists who prioritised honesty over perfection. Naturally, that spirit shaped him too.
What began as a desire to inspire young artists has evolved into something bigger. Parents, elders, and entire communities have embraced his music, finding pieces of themselves in his verses.
To his supporters, he has one message: “Focus on yourself. Do what you love. Don’t let peer pressure win. Be you, and don’t give up.”
Looking ahead, EmpireMusiqSA has no plans to shrink his ambition.
He hopes to collaborate with artists like Emtee, Tony Daymane, and Nkabi Nation, and to continue carving out a space where raw, unedited hip-hop thrives.
His vision is simple but powerful: to grow, to give hope, and to prove to young people across the Eastern Cape that their dreams are valid, possible, and worth the grind.
“Kariega, KwaZakhele, Zwide, Motherwell, the whole metro has talent,” he said. “If I make it, the kids watching will believe they can too.”
For more information or to follow his journey, he can be reached on Facebook at Lunga Mankayi IV.
