Barkly West artist turns pain, betrayal and witchcraft into a powerful new EP
Barkly West hip hop and amapiano artist Thabo Kgopiso channels betrayal, jealousy, and spiritual attacks into his new two-track E.P, Ubuthakathi (witchcraft), releasing 16 December. Dark, mystical, and unapologetic, the project turns personal pain into testimony, giving voice to silent struggles many in local communities face.
Image: Supplied
BARKLY West hip hop and amapiano artist Thabo Kgopiso is preparing to release what he calls the most personal and spiritually charged project of his career. His new EP, titled Ubuthakathi (witchcraft), drops on 16 December, and it is far more than a musical release. For Kgopiso, this project is an act of survival, testimony, and reclaiming power in the face of betrayal and spiritual turmoil.
What began as a six-track project was abruptly reshaped by the very experiences the EP now confronts. Kgopiso says that a series of spiritual attacks, financial sabotage, and painful betrayals from people he once trusted derailed his plans and forced him to narrow the project down to two tracks. But rather than weakening the offering, he believes the crisis sharpened its impact.
“Life had other plans,” he explains. “What I went through made the project even more real and intense. These are the two songs that carry everything I survived.”
Ubuthakathi digs into themes many people in local communities know but rarely speak about: jealousy that festers into something darker, relationships that turn dangerous behind closed doors, and the silent weight of ukuthakatha. For Kgopiso, naming these experiences through music became a way to fight back.
“Ubuthakathi is not just music; it is testimony,” he says. “It is me naming what was done to me in the dark and turning it into something that cannot be silenced.”
Describing the project as dark, mystical, and unapologetic, Kgopiso says he wanted to give voice to struggles that often remain buried in fear or shame. He believes that many listeners will see themselves reflected in his story, and he hopes the EP will spark conversations about the hidden emotional battles people face.
Thabo Kgopiso
Image: Supplied
The two track project will be available on SoundCloud, SlikourOnLife, ReverbNation, Audiomack, and all major digital platforms on release day.
Kgopiso says he would be honoured to have DFA tell this story, emphasising that the EP is more than a creative release: it is a message to anyone who has been betrayed, spiritually attacked, or silenced by people they trusted.
With Ubuthakathi, Thabo Kgopiso transforms his pain into art that stands its ground, a raw offering from a local artist who refused to be broken.