'I knew that opportunities were going to get closer to us' — five minutes with rising star Exoh

Rising star Exoh is on a mission to cement his name in SA's music scene. 

The moves he's made in his career have been a build-up towards that achievement

Mpumalanga-born Mnqobi "Exoh" Zulu hails from Carolina and has been doing music since 2014, but only now is he receiving the attention.

Exoh's debut single, Lalela, a fusion of amapiano and kwaito, is currently topping the charts. 

Exoh said he was discovered at the Rainbow Nation Festival in December 2023, “where we were invited to showcase our talents in a studio at The Bears Palace, I was then signed in January by The Bears Palace and immediately started recording my first project”.

"The name Exoh comes from the name Exodus, which I was given by my grandmother. Every day at home we all had to pick a verse to read each day and explain how we understood it, I was always lazy and picked a verse from the book of Exodus every day until my grandmother gave me the nickname, so the name Exoh is short for Exodus," he said.

The 26-year-old says music has always been his dream, and he has tried so many times to get opportunities. But there were no opportunities available where he’s from.

"When The Bears Palace in Carolina started doing festivals two years ago in partnership with Mailbox Media, I knew that opportunities were going to get closer to us in our small town, little did I know that they would open a music recording wing that eventually gave me the record deal," he said.

Exoh says his passion drew him to the arts. He grew up wanting to be an artist and started writing poetry at a young age. He then took part in poetry and singing competitions for his school.

"I proceeded to become a DJ before deciding to focus on writing and performing music. I look up to people like Cassper Nyovest, and I am inspired by the late Mpura and Killer Kau. When I met them a few years ago they inspired me to never give up and trust the processes.”

TshisaLive asked Exoh how it felt to top the charts on digital platforms. He said: "I love it when people appreciate my music, last week on May 3 2024 my first single, Lalela, was number 1 on digital music platforms like iTunes and others, that feeling of people appreciating my art and creation is really inspiring and that is one of the aspects I enjoyed. I also did a video which was attended and supported by popular social media personalities and is due for release on May 15 2024, that kind of support really makes me believe that I am on the right path".