Amapiano heartthrob Sushi B has much more to offer to the genre than just his attractive looks.
Sushi B — real name Kenny Magampa — is carving out his signature “private school amapiano” sound with hits like Shakespeare and Amigos.
Sowetan gets to know the rising music producer and artist.
You’ve been dubbed the ‘hunk of amapiano’. Are you aware of that title?
Honestly, no. I mean, people call me different things; some say Sushi, some say other names, but I didn’t know about that one. I’m just a guy making the music I love. That’s all I really focus on.
Who is Sushi B, and how different is he from Kenny?
It’s the same person, but Sushi is more the creative side of me. He’s the one who’s been building for years: like 10 or even 12 years of creating music. He’s just obsessed with music… like a creative junkie.
What kind of child were you?
I started off as a rapper when I was about 12. I used to get bullied a lot growing up, from around six years old. Music became an escape for me. I wasn’t doing well in school, and I needed something that made me feel good about myself. My older brother put me on to hip-hop, and from there it clicked. By the time I was 14, I started producing. I was using an iPod Touch at first, recording with earphones, and then eventually I got a laptop and started making music from scratch.
I’m just a guy making music I love.
— Sushi B
Where does the name Sushi B come from?
It’s actually funny…in high school, I played basketball, and the guys used to call me “Sushi King” because of Kenny Kunene. Then the “B” came from “bars” because I used to rap so well.
How did you transition into amapiano?
It was a competition with my brother. He made an amapiano beat one day, and I was like, “Hold on…if you can do that, I can do it better." We started making beats every day. That’s when I fell in love with it because I could bring in other influences like hip-hop, R&B, Latin and jazz.
What did it feel like when your music first went viral?
I didn’t see it coming. I was just posting videos on TikTok…dancing on my balcony with my keyboard, and one day it took off. People on Twitter were actually dragging me, saying I looked like a clown. But on TikTok, people loved it. Then suddenly, the followers started going up like crazy.
What stands out the most from that viral moment?
I remember waking up one morning to my mom calling me, asking if I made the song Shakespeare. She had heard it playing in a store. I had only released it a week before. When I checked my phone, the notifications were insane; I had thousands of new followers of people using the song. It didn’t feel real. I just put my phone down and thanked God.
Did that moment feel like validation?
Yes, it did, but it also felt like something I always knew would happen. I’ve been making music for over 10 years, so I knew something would click eventually.
Do you feel pressure as part of the new generation of artists?
Yes and no. There’s pressure to keep delivering. But at the same time, what I’m doing is unique; it can’t be replicated. I focus on being better than I was before.
What’s next for you?
I’ve got a deluxe version of my album Señor Sushi coming…it’s already doing well in Tanzania. I’m adding about six new songs, and I’m also working on an EP. There’s a lot of collaborations coming, especially with that Mexican-influenced sound. And I’ll be touring more across Africa — Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania again.
