Amapiano 2018 Songs: The Year the Sound Went Mainstream

Amapiano 2018 songs mark a pivotal moment in South African music, when a grassroots township sound started moving into clubs, radio and streaming playlists nationwide. Built around log drum basslines, jazzy chords and mid‑tempo grooves, the genre’s breakthrough year can be traced through key tracks, producers and DJs who defined its identity.

Below is an evidence‑based overview of standout Amapiano releases from around 2018, how the sound evolved, and why this period still shapes what fans stream today on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

The Rise of Amapiano Before and Around 2018

Music writers and researchers generally place the emergence of Amapiano in the mid‑2010s in Gauteng townships such as Pretoria and Johannesburg. According to an in‑depth feature on the genre’s history from the culture publication OkayAfrica, early Amapiano drew from deep house, jazz‑inflected “private school” house, kwaito and Bacardi house, with slow tempos around 110–114 BPM and heavy use of log drums.

By 2018, the sound had developed from an underground DJ tool into a recognised style:

The genre started gaining international visibility through editorial playlists like Amapiano Grooves on Spotify, which highlights early and current staples.
Apple Music launched dedicated Amapiano sections and branded playlists such as Amapiano Lifestyle, helping catalogue both classic and new releases under the same search term.
Music platform Boomplay and other African‑focused services documented how 2018–2019 saw a surge in Amapiano traffic and searches, correlating with breakout songs entering wider rotation.

Within this context, several producers and DJ collectives released tracks that would define the “Amapiano 2018 songs” era.

Key Amapiano 2018 Songs and Artists

Kabza De Small: Cementing the Core Sound

Producer‑DJ Kabza De Small is repeatedly cited as a central figure in formalising the Amapiano template. His 2018 album “Avenue Sounds” and a run of singles led to him being widely referred to by media as the “King of Amapiano.” A biographical profile on Wikipedia’s Kabza De Small page notes that his first Amapiano projects started appearing in 2016, but his 2018 output helped popularise the sound countrywide.

Representative Kabza‑related tracks from the era (dated by public metadata on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music) include:

“Umshove” – Kabza De Small ft. Leehleza (2018/2019 rollout)
While often associated with early 2019, digital release listings show “Umshove” as part of Kabza’s late‑2018/early‑2019 singles run, bridging the period when Amapiano broke into mainstream radio. The track’s log drums, repetitive chants and minimal arrangement became a blueprint for subsequent releases.
Instrumental Amapiano cuts on “Avenue Sounds” (2018)
Tracks from this project, accessible on services like Apple Music’s Kabza De Small page, showcase the distinctive chord‑progression‑plus‑log‑drum formula that defined many Amapiano 2018 songs.

These releases underscore how a producer‑driven scene—rather than a vocalist‑led pop format—pushed the genre forward.

DJ Maphorisa and Scorpion Kings: From 2018 to Wider Crossover

By 2018, established producer DJ Maphorisa began fully embracing Amapiano, frequently collaborating with Kabza De Small. Their duo Scorpion Kings would soon become one of the most visible Amapiano brands. According to DJ Maphorisa’s profile on Wikipedia, he shifted into Amapiano after success in gqom and Afro‑pop, helping open doors to radio and streaming audiences already familiar with his name.

While the first full “Scorpion Kings” collaborative project landed in 2019, many of the pair’s club‑circulating instrumentals and remixes were already being played in 2018 sets, laying the groundwork for later hits like “Amantombazane” and “Vula Vala”, widely listed on streaming platforms as early Scorpion Kings staples.

MFR Souls and Other Early Adopters

Duo MFR Souls are frequently mentioned as early pioneers alongside Kabza and Maphorisa. Their work in the 2016–2018 period, highlighted in several genre histories such as the OkayAfrica guide to Amapiano, circulated heavily through DJ USBs and file‑sharing before appearing in wider distribution.

A key track slightly after 2018, “Love You Tonight” by MFR Souls featuring DJ Maphorisa, Sha Sha and Kabza De Small, is often retrospectively discussed as part of the first global wave of Amapiano, and can be found among early Amapiano essentials on Spotify’s Amapiano Grooves playlist. Although it charted more visibly from 2019, its production style is consistent with the sound solidified in 2018.

Other producers and DJs associated with the 2018 period—appearing across early Amapiano‑tagged catalogues on streaming platforms—include:

De Mthuda – known for early log‑drum‑heavy instrumentals.
DJ Stokie – often cited as one of the scene’s earliest supporters in Soweto, with sets featuring many 2017–2018 Amapiano cuts.
JazziDisciples – whose work, later accessible via their collective projects on Apple Music and Spotify, helped connect darker, more experimental grooves with the mainstream‑friendly side of the genre.

Because a large portion of 2018 Amapiano circulated informally (via WhatsApp, USB sticks and local DJ networks), some club staples from that year only appeared on major platforms later, which is why many “Amapiano classics” are dated 2019 in public catalogues even though they were already in rotation in 2018.

How Amapiano 2018 Songs Sounded

Drawing on analyses from music writers and streaming‑platform curation notes (such as the descriptions attached to Amapiano Grooves on Spotify), Amapiano 2018 songs typically shared several musical traits:

Tempo and Groove
Most tracks sat between 110–114 BPM, slower than typical house, giving DJs room to blend long transitions. The drum programming emphasised syncopated shakers and claps.
Log Drum Basslines
A signature element of Amapiano is the pitched log drum bass, sometimes compared to a blend of kwaito’s weighty low end and gqom’s percussive punch. By 2018, this sound had become a near‑universal feature.
Jazz and “Private School” Chords
Many 2018 instrumentals leaned on warm, jazzy chord progressions reminiscent of deep house. This is part of what some curators and commentators call the “private school Amapiano” strain—smoother, more laid‑back tracks aimed at lounges and upscale venues.
Minimal Vocals
Earlier Amapiano, including much of the 2018 catalogue, often had sparse vocals: short chants, call‑and‑response hooks, or sampled speech. Fully song‑structured vocal features became more dominant slightly later as the genre crossed into pop.

These shared characteristics made it easy for DJs to build long, hypnotic sets from different producers’ tracks, contributing to rapid word‑of‑mouth spread.

Where to Discover Amapiano 2018 Songs Today

Even though many tracks originated as DJ‑only files, a significant portion of key Amapiano 2018 songs can now be accessed legally and conveniently:

Streaming Platforms
- Spotify’s dedicated Amapiano hub and editorial playlists (such as Amapiano Grooves) include early and classic tracks mixed with current releases.
- Apple Music’s Amapiano editorial page curates themed playlists, some focusing on foundational songs and artists.
Official Artist Profiles
Artist pages for Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, De Mthuda, DJ Stokie and MFR Souls on major platforms often group earlier EPs and singles, allowing listeners to scroll back to material released around 2018.
Local and Regional Platforms
African‑focused services like Boomplay have documented and promoted Amapiano as it spread across the continent, providing additional catalogues of both older and newer tracks.

Using these sources, listeners can build playlists that focus specifically on Amapiano 2018 songs—often by sorting artists’ catalogues by release date and cross‑checking with early genre playlists.

Key Facts About Amapiano 2018 Songs

Amapiano emerged in Gauteng townships in the mid‑2010s and was well‑established as a scene by 2018, according to genre histories such as the OkayAfrica guide to Amapiano.
Producer Kabza De Small is widely acknowledged as a leading figure, with his 2018 project “Avenue Sounds” and later hit “Umshove” marking a turning point in the genre’s mainstream visibility, as noted in Kabza De Small’s Wikipedia biography.
DJ Maphorisa’s transition into Amapiano and collaboration with Kabza De Small, forming Scorpion Kings, linked the sound to audiences already familiar with his previous work in gqom and Afro‑pop, documented on DJ Maphorisa’s Wikipedia entry.
Many pivotal Amapiano 2018 songs circulated informally before receiving official digital releases, which is why streaming metadata often lists 2019 even for tracks that club audiences heard in 2018.
Major platforms like Spotify and Apple Music now maintain dedicated Amapiano sections that preserve much of this early catalogue alongside new music.

FAQ About Amapiano 2018 Songs

1. What makes a track an “Amapiano 2018 song”?

In practice, fans use the phrase to describe songs that reflect the early, township‑driven Amapiano style and circulated in clubs, taxis and local radio during 2018. These tracks typically feature mid‑tempo grooves, prominent log drums and jazzy chords. Because many were shared informally, some only appeared on official streaming platforms in 2019, even though they were already popular in 2018.

2. Who were the main artists behind Amapiano 2018 songs?

Sources such as OkayAfrica’s history of Amapiano and artist biographies highlight Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, MFR Souls, De Mthuda, DJ Stokie and JazziDisciples as central to the sound during this period. Their early singles and EPs formed much of the DJ repertoire in 2018.

3. Where can I legally stream or download Amapiano 2018 songs?

You can find many key tracks on mainstream services. The Amapiano hubs on Spotify and Apple Music offer curated playlists that mix foundational music with current hits. Regional platforms like Boomplay also host Amapiano catalogues aimed at African listeners.

4. Are Amapiano 2018 songs different from current Amapiano hits?

Yes, in emphasis. Early Amapiano leaned more toward long, instrumental‑driven tracks with minimal vocals and deep‑house‑style arrangements. As the genre expanded globally from 2019 onward, releases increasingly incorporated full song structures, pop‑friendly hooks and cross‑genre collaborations, while still retaining core elements like log drums and mid‑tempo grooves.

5. How did Amapiano move from 2018 local popularity to global recognition?

According to coverage by outlets like OkayAfrica, the path ran from local DJ networks and township parties to national radio, then to curated playlists on services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Producers like Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa scaled up their collaborations, while international DJs and artists began incorporating Amapiano rhythms into their sets and releases, amplifying what had been built in the 2018 era.

Conclusion

Amapiano 2018 songs capture the moment when a distinctive South African sound moved from an underground, DJ‑driven movement into a defined genre with growing national attention. Tracks by Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, MFR Souls and their peers provided the musical framework—mid‑tempo beats, log drum basslines and soulful chords—that still underpins today’s global Amapiano hits.

By exploring artist catalogues and curated hubs on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, listeners can trace how the 2018 wave laid the foundation for the sound’s worldwide rise, and rediscover the tracks that first defined Amapiano’s identity.

Amapiano 2018 Songs