ProVerb Drops the Mic on Hip-Hop: Says 'Family First' in Raw Tell-All

• South African rap legend ProVerb revealed he ditched a R150k music project to cover his kids' R100k school fees each, marking the end of his hip-hop era
• The former Idols SA host admitted the grind of bills outweighed the passion, but insists the bars still bubble beneath the surface
• ProVerb traded verses for ventures, earning degrees, books, and boardrooms while keeping fans guessing on a comeback

In a candid drop that's rippling through Mzansi's music circles, ProVerb, who impressed fans with his academic success recently, laid bare the gritty truth behind his hip-hop hiatus on DJ Lemonka's Network podcast this week.

The 44-year-old powerhouse, who stormed the scene in 1999 with razor-sharp rhymes, confessed that fatherhood flipped the script on his career. He shared:

"I had just spent about R100 000 buying my masters and got a quote of R150 000 to record the next project."

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He added:

"Around the same time, my kids’ school fees were about R100 000 each."

Watch the full interview:

ProVerb's humble beginnings

It's a tale as real as the dusty streets of his Northern Cape roots. Born on April 12, 1981, in Kimberley, Thekisho hustled to Johannesburg in 1999 chasing tertiary dreams, landing a National Diploma in Sound Engineering by 2003. That ticket punched him into YFM's tech booth as producer for DJ Fresh, then Channel O's TV glow.

By 2005, his debut album The Book of ProVerb cemented him as South Africa's lyric laureate with intricate wordplay and street wisdom, earning props from heavyweights like HHP and Kwesta.

Follow-ups FourthWrite (2009) and The Read Tape (2015) kept the fire lit, blending conscious flows with commercial bite, while collabs with other artists showcased his versatility.

Hip-hop mic drop and other feats

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The glory's glare of artistry hid the grind. As a single dad post-2018 divorce from Onalerona Moreo, the mother to his two children, Thekisho juggled stages with school runs.

Pivoting like a pro, ProVerb levelled up off the beat. He hosted and co-produced Idols SA from 2010, spotting stars like Paxton Fielies and Thabo Ndlovu. Radio stints at 5FM and Metro FM kept his voice booming, while a DBA and MBA sharpened his business edge. Interestingly, ProVerb's sister, actress Lerato Mvelase, recently completed her MBA.

As 2025 unfolds with SA hip-hop's renaissance, acts like A-Reece and Maglera Doe Boy are owning the charts, Thekisho's exit feels like a blueprint, not a bow-out. No concrete comeback has been teased, but his story screams evolution: from underachiever to hip-hop hero, now family anchor and sage.

MBA is proving fashionable among South African stars

In a glaring reveal that entertainers can equally be academically inclined, South African stars have recently been impressing fans with their academic qualifications – the most notable being MBA. Briefly News previously reported that a popular TV presenter, host, model, and influencer had completed her MBA after some long period of time.

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Responding to the news at the time, Netizens sang praises of the female star, with some calling her "an inspiration."

Source: Briefly News