Get to Know Legendary Crisp As She Turns the Tables With Her Solo Career Debut
To frequent listeners of radio who still get their daily fix from the airwaves, the name Legendary Crisp is one that needs no introduction. A seasoned DJ with her ear on the pulse when it comes to all things amapiano, the Johannesburg deck-spinner has been holding it down at YFM, and in her time as an amapiano curator, she has established herself as a connoisseur of the sound with her segment. It is a job that demands knowledge and for one to keep up with the culture, requirements she has met to sustain a career in the fold of radio. And these two qualities have brought her to the cusp of her next step: evolving into a musician in her own right.
Turning the tables she has been familiar with all these years, Legendary Crisp launched her solo career with her debut single, “Bra Kota”, a tribute to and a collaboration with her hero and amapiano producer Tumza D’Kota. The single, released on the 30th of May 2025, marked a new epoch for the disc jockey in her pursuit of making a name for herself with her own artistry, a journey that started out in the suburb of Westbury and manifested in her affinity for classic house music.
“As a lot of people know, Coloured people tend to have a taste for old-school house music with SoulCandi type of vibes. And growing up, that is music I found myself attracted to and listening to intensely. So, when it comes to the progression of becoming a DJ, the hints were always there, but it wasn’t necessarily a planned-out thing. I think that my passion for house led me there. When I think back to my days in school and how learners would come to me to find out what were the hottest songs out there at the time or to just share their songs with me, it makes me realise that I was destined to be the person I have become,” she said.
Legendary Crisp | SUPPLIED
One of the things which have shaped the art of crafting amapiano is the way producers and vocalists preview upcoming music through the socials. Through the use of lives and reels, artists have turned their TikToks and Instagrams – indeed, the whole social media space – into musical open kitchens, maximising their collective digital reach to create a connection with their audience by building anticipation for new music and whetting their appetites for future releases. This process – a labour ward which has seen the birth of countless hits in the genre – facilitated the making of Crisp’s maiden single “Bra Kota”.
The disc jockey spoke about the making of the single and the intentionality behind working with one of the pioneers of amapiano, Tumza D’Kota, a member of a three-man group that went by the name of Kota Embassy.
“You know how a lot of producers tend to go live when they’re working on their projects? With “Bra Kota”, it was like one of those, where I heard him put the beat together during one of his live sessions. I reached out to let him know that I was interested in getting involved in the song before he wrapped it up. We linked up and hit the studio together, and got the song done as easy as that. Another element to the song coming together is that I have always enjoyed Tumza’s music when he was part of Kota Embassy. I’ve always liked their music because I found it to be very soulful, and yet it had the kind of soul that you could dance to. It had that kick to it, and in terms of tempo, it was slightly faster than your average private school piano or old-school song you can think of.
“Being able to reach out and work with Tumza on the project was also amazing. I’ve always admired his skillset, and so when I heard the song coming together, I knew that it was something I wanted to finish alongside him,” he said.
Check out “Bra Kota” below:
Paying homage to the greats and those who paved the way for the current generation is a trend that has persisted through time, with musicians paying their respects by either doing songs with or naming their tracks after the idols they grew up trying to mould themselves after. Legendary Crisp spoke about the reverence she felt towards Tumza D’Kota and his contributions to the sound scape of amapiano.
“With this song, it was my way of looking forward instead of backward. You know, there are so many people that have assisted in shaping the scene now but are not that popular as the mainstream faces we often see. And yet, you can’t help but wonder where the sound would be without their contribution. Though we can’t change the past, we can impact the future, so by doing an ode to Tumza, it’s my way of shining some light on him and his sound and how he has shaped amapiano. The tribute was my way of calling attention to his skill and that he is someone to be taken seriously,” she said.
Legendary Crisp | SUPPLIED
Representing the faculty of private school amapiano, Legendary Crisp forecasted that her year would be one of singles and pushing her sound in an ecosystem where the sound doesn’t call too much attention to itself.
“My aim for now is to release more singles. I want to be impactful in showing people that I have a good ear for DJing that translates into other elements such as production. So, more singles will be coming from me in the coming months because for me it’s about pushing a sound that is constant but not necessarily the loudest. Private school amapiano has been there for the longest time, but due to the nature of the sound, it won’t be song of the year type of material. And yet, it’s the sound that keeps people going throughout the year. If I can just shine a bit more light on that and how to increase the stock value of private school piano, that would be great,” she said.
The maestro of the ones and twos spoke about the vitality of her friends and family, parties she credited as being important support systems.
“The people who have helped me stay grounded and persistent despite the challenges that I faced are my friends and family. I wouldn’t say it’s been anyone in the industry. And the reason why I say this is because it hasn’t been an easy journey for me being a DJ for the amount of time I’ve been one and also reaching my goals at certain times. They kept me going and reminded me of my passion and why I wanted to do this. There have been many times when I wanted to quit but they always had the insight to understand that quitting wasn’t actually what I wanted in that moment, that what I was going through was just a feeling. So, they were always there to talk to me about how much it means to me and why I started this journey,” she said.
Legendary Crisp | SUPPLIED
A purist, a nostalgic, and a stickler for quality records, Legendary Crisp highlighted her hopes for leaving a mark as a contributor who can make music strong enough to stand the test of time.
“The impact I hope to leave is that good music really does matter, especially taking into consideration how the scene has moved to a space of music quality not necessarily being the most important thing but everything else around it instead. It’s now more about the visuals, the optics and so forth. I hope to be one artist who reminds people that good music is timeless. Trendy music is good, but we also need long-term, generation-defining music that you can play for your kids one day because the sound isn’t time-sensitive,” she said.
Closing off the conversation, the amapiano head revealed that what kept her going and growing strong was the raw love of the game.
“I’m a person who is very passionate about what I play. It’s not something that I do just to collect a cheque or in hopes of becoming famous. It’s something I genuinely love. Ninety percent of time, you’ll find me listening to amapiano and I enjoy discovering new artists. As a result of that – the genuine interest – I’ve been able to stay ahead. It’s like someone who has a love for cars; that person is going to attend car shows and read car magazines because of the interest. I would say that kind of interest is what has helped me to stay on top of my game and ahead of the curve. It’s something that makes my life better,” she said.