Biography
Ntokozo Mdluli (born October 13, 1980), aka K.O, is a South African rapper. He is best known for being a member of the hip-hop group Teargas.
K.O started his professional music journey as a student at the Vaal University of Technology. The group dropped its debut album K’shubile K’bovu in 2006.
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| Quick Facts | |
| Full Name: | Ntokozo Mdluli |
| Other Names: | K.O |
| Born: | October 13, 1980 (age 42 years) |
| Place of Birth: | Soweto, Johannesburg |
| Education: | Public Relations Management |
| Alma mater: | Vaal University of Technology |
| Parents: | Thembisile Mdluli, Jabulani Mdluli |
| Partner: | Sarah Langa |
| Occupation: | Rapper |
| Instruments: | Vocal |
| Record Label: | Cashtime, Sony Music Entertainment |
| Years Active: | 2015-date |
| Profiles: | Instagram, Twitter |
| Net Worth: | R10 million |
Early life
Ntokozo Mdluli, aka K.O, was born on October 13, 1980 in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. His parents, Thembisile Mdluli and Jabulani Mdluli raised him.
At a young age, K.O relocated with his family to Piet Retief, Mpumalanga province, South Africa. There he continued his studies and grew up.
Education
After matric, he enrolled at the Vaal University of Technology. K.O obtained National Diploma in Public Relations Management.
During his years in school, he met Ezee “Ma-E” Hanabe and Bantu Ntukza, who later became his bandmates.
Career
After graduating from school, getting a job was not easy for him. After two years of unemployment, his mother sent his CV to SAPS.
K.O refused to turn up for the interview, instead went to work in Public Relations and dreamt of being a musician.
Music Career
Teargas
In 2005, K.O, Ma-E and Ntukza decided to create a music group and named it Teargas.
They started working on their debut album K’shubile K’bovu and dropped it in 2006. The fifteen-track album became a local hit. It housed a hit track – Chance.
The runaway success was enough proof that music was their calling, and they continued in full force. The music group dropped another studio album, Wafa Wafa, in 2008.
Teargas dropped their third studio album in 2009 and titled it Dark or Blue. The group collaborated with top artists, Mthokozisi Khathi and Tamarsha, among others, on the thirteen-track album.
They dropped their fourth studio album, Num8er Num8er, in 2012, a fifteen-track album.
K.O told Sunday World that the musical group Teargas is not a dead group.
Cashtime Life
K.O, a fellow Teargas member Hanabe, and Thabiso Khati came together to create Cashtime Life in 2013.
After the launch of the entertainment company, K.O became its first artist. He dropped the first solo single of his first album, Mission Statement.
Fellow rapper AKA featured K.O on his single Run Jozi (Godly) in 2014, and it was a hit. He dropped another single Caracara in March 2014.
K.O dropped Son of a Gun, a third official single for his album, Skhanda Republic. He released his debut solo album Skhanda Republic in November 2014.
Mdluli signed a partnership in distribution with Sony Entertainment in 2017. On July 21, he dropped another single, No Feelings.
On October 14, he dropped his featured Okmalumkoolkat on his single Don Dada. In 2017, he released another sophomore album Skhanda Republic 2 in 2017.
The rapper released a single, Supa Dupa, in March 2019 and his third solo album, PTY UnLtd, in 2019. On October 15, 2021, he dropped Playback.
Controversy
HIV Status
After Ntokozo Mdluli appeared to have lost some pounds, rumors of his HIV status surfaced. Many tongues wagged that he was HIV positive.
His manager Thabiso Khati refuted those claims and said K.O underwent a strict diet plan and regular working out.
Ntokozo shared a picture of his blood test result on Instagram and Twitter. The was enough proof that he was HIV-negative.
Personal Life
In 2010, K.O started dating the blogger and Wits University graduate Sarah Langa. They kept their relationship status under wraps and denied it when asked.
They could no longer hide when they started to step out together in public. The couple went to the South African Music Awards together. Their relationship ended in September 2015.
K.O and Sarah did not mention why their relationship hit the end of the road. Six months after, Sarah became another man’s wife.
Net Worth
K.O has been in the entertainment industry for over seventeen years. He has worked with many artists and has dropped several hits.
K.O earns from performances, music sales, YouTube views, streams, endorsement deals, and other investments. He has a net worth of over R10 million as of October 2022.
Awards
K.O has produced many works that have earned him accolades from serval award sponsors. He was a nominee for five categories at the Channel O Music Awards.
- Most Gifted Male
- Most Gifted Duo/Group or Featuring
- Most Gifted Hip Hop
- Most Gifted Southern Artist
- Most Gifted Video of the Year