One of South Africa’s most celebrated hip hop artists, Cassper Nyovest has partnered with a mobile phone manufacturer to sell smartphones, a transaction that the rapper said has resulted in his biggest paycheck ever.
Nyovest’s extravagant lifestyle, including the recent purchase of a new Bentley, is something he won’t apologize for.
He says he was inspired by U.S. mega-rapper Kanye West. “I don’t think I’m going to stop showing off,” he said on a SowetanLive video.
Nyovest partnered with South African manufacturer AG Mobile to launch a low cost smartphone that doesn’t skimp on features, htxt reported.
The phone costs $245 US — “rather tempting,” according to htxt. With an MTN contract, a customer can finance one for $16 a month for 24 months.
Called the AG#Hashtag, the phone sports a bright red color for the handset which Nyovest helped choose.
“It was designed for someone who loves music, being in the mix, and socializing with their crew,” Nyovest said in a statement. “Basically it has everything I would want in a phone.”
Nyovest said at the smartphone launch that he will not stop showing off his extravagant lifestyle and luxury purchases on social media, BellaNaija reported.
“I have the opportunity to be on every brand in South Africa but they offer too little money. I’m not going to put my name on something for an amount that isn’t life changing. That’s why I’ve turned down numerous deals. This is the biggest check I’ve ever got.”
A high school dropout, Nyovest said in a blog that he told his parents, “I’d rather chase my dream, which I believe is going to work out, rather than keeping it safe and regret it my whole life.”
His second single, “Doc Shebeleza,” earned him major acclaim.
In October, Nyovest signed an endorsement deal with South African mobile service provider MTN in a deal said to be the biggest in South African music history, eNCA reported.
At the launch of the new phone, Nyovest told SowetanLive that the deal is a dream come true. By sharing his successes on social media‚ he said he hopes to inspire children in the hood.
“It’s because of this deal that I was able to buy a property‚ a new car and a few watches. But more importantly I’ve also been able to pay for my sisters to go to university,” he said.
Nyovest said he was inspired by seeing Kanye’s and P.Diddy’s lifestyle. “I was inspired from a kid,” he said. “I used to take the good from what I see … all these rappers come from an American hood‚ but they also come from unfortunate situations and through music‚ they’ve been able to provide for their families and buy these cars.”
He talked about what it felt like to drive his new Bentley home to Mafikeng, capital of South Africa’s North-West Province. “All the kids just started running after the car,” he said. “They already knew the car. I mean‚ these are the same kids who used to see me chilling in the corner with people who used to do drugs. Some of my friends were thieves. Some are in jail and some are dead. If you cannot appreciate a young black man who comes from nothing and now drives a Bentley‚ then you have a problem‚ not me.”
Recent luxury purchases by Nyovest include a Presidential Rolex worth $31,549 US. The Bentley is worth $260,392, SowetanLive reported.
Nyovest wouldn’t say how much he earned from the smartphone deal.
Besides, Nyovest, AG Mobile has aligned with other well known African celebrities including Danny K, Kabelo Mabalane, DJ Fresh, Loyiso Bala, Lloyd Cele and soap opera star Sophie Ndaba. The company does business in Nigeria, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
