Obituary: Nkululeko 'Flabba' Habedi, rapper who found art in the ghetto

1977-2015: Nkululeko Habedi, better known as Flabba, who has died at the age of 37, was one of South Africa's best-known rappers.

He was fatally stabbed, allegedly by a girlfriend, Sindisiwe Precious Manqele, last Sunday.

Born in Soweto on October 17 1977, he moved to Alexandra township with his family when he was 10.

At the time it was an almost permanent war zone as political factions fought each other and the apartheid security forces.

Life for those in the middle, such as the Habedi family, was about as rough, raw, dangerous and close to the poverty line as it could be.

Flabba was luckier than most, however. He had the confidence-boosting support of a loving, happy, proud family, including a stepfather he looked up to and with whom he was close, which provided a relatively stable domestic environment.

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It didn't take long for him to show signs of a fairly unusual intellectual curiosity. He got the name Flabba when his grandmother gave him a clip about the ear and told him she was "flabbergasted" by his naughtiness.

The six-year-old immediately looked this strange word up in a dictionary. He liked the sound of it so much that he announced to his family that from then on they must call him "Flabba".

From the start he was smarter, more articulate, cheekier and more confident than most of his peers.

After matriculating at John Orr Technical College, he submitted reluctantly to pressure from his parents to enrol for a computer science course at Allenby Campus in Bramley, Johannesburg.

However, all he wanted was to be a rapper and follow in the footsteps of his idol Snoop Dogg. He didn't even complete a year at Allenby before leaving to pursue his dream.

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Rapping came naturally to him. It was said he never had to work at it. He used the medium sometimes like a scalpel and sometimes a hammer to dissect, lay bare, explore and expose for public consumption the brutal, violent, misogynistic, tragic, funny, drug-infested, caring, fatalistic underbelly of life in the townships and informal settlements.

He turned all of this into art that a young urban generation trying to find some sense of identity and purpose in the aftermath of apartheid could relate to and enjoy for its authenticity and wit - not to mention its relentless, uncompromising rhythm.

In 1996, he hooked up with other rappers to form the multiaward winning hip-hop group Skwatta Kamp.

It was no easy road for them at first. They had to conquer a lot of scepticism from label executives for whom kwaito and gospel were the only happening genres locally. They dismissed rapping as too American.

Nevertheless, over the next decade the seven-member Skwatta Kamp released five albums, becoming one of the most successful hip-hop groups in the country in terms of album sales and public recognition.

Two of their albums, Mkhukhu Funkshen and Washumkhukhu, released in 2004 and 2005 respectively, were considered significant for their sociopolitical content. Each sold more than 25 000 units.

Much as he was a member of the group, Flabba was recognised and highly respected as a producer in his own right, creating music for some of his contemporaries such as rapper JR's comeback album.

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He worked with many acts and recorded with HHP, Lira and Sylvester Kabomo.

At the height of his career, he shared the stage with big international names such as his hero Snoop Dogg, Will Smith and Ludacris when they came to the country.

He was featured on popular TV programmes, including the very successful SABC1 show Live Amp.

He pursued a solo career that saw him release his debut album, Nkuli vs Flabba, featuring the popular single Isbhamu Somdoko, which earned him a South African Music Award for best rap album in 2007.

The image he projected of reckless, easy-going spontaneity hid an extremely shrewd business brain.

He used music to open up lucrative commercial opportunities and turned the hip-hop genre into an established discipline and viable business option for young rappers who came after him.

Flabba is survived by two children, his mother, Pearl, and a younger brother.