DJ Speedsta Faces Backlash Over Old School Setlist
DJ Speedsta Faces Backlash Over Old School Setlist. SA Hip Hop’s most prominent DJ, DJ Speedsta, has stirred the pot yet again—this time for spinning throwback tracks instead of championing the rising stars of the local scene.
What was meant to be a vibey set ended up sparking a firestorm online after he ended his set by playing Keri Hilson’s 2009 classic “Knock You Down” —all while calls for a hip-hop revival grow louder.
While Speedsta is widely respected for his role in shaping hip-hop culture through platforms like 5FM’s 5 Hip Hop Nights and The Hip Hop Floor, fans on X weren’t impressed by his latest performance. The criticism? A glaring disconnect between his nostalgia-fueled playlists and his recent push for South African hip-hop to reclaim its throne.
“Speedsta must stop complaining about piano when he’s still closing off his sets with songs that are 15+ years old. Bro, play some new SA heat!” wrote @RoninDexx. Another user, @Dee_Amu, echoed the sentiment: “How you gonna skip the local bangers for Keri Hilson in 2025? Where’s the love for SA hip-hop?”
The backlash comes hot on the heels of Speedsta’s appearance on BasickBoyz’s YouTube channel, where he boldly claimed Amapiano fatigue is setting in and hip-hop is making a comeback. Yet, critics argue he’s not walking the talk. “lol this nigga complaining about Amapiano when he’s still closing off his sets with Knock You Down, a song that came out when I was still in high school for crying out loud! SA hip hop DJs are actually so shameless.”
The criticism speaks to a deeper rift in South Africa’s music culture. As Amapiano continues to dominate both locally and globally, the hip-hop community finds itself in a tug-of-war between honouring its roots and propelling fresh talent forward.
Speedsta’s decision to lean on international throwbacks—while calling out Amapiano DJs for repetition—didn’t go unnoticed. “DJ Speedsta deserves any type of slander coming his way for having the liver of playing Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down” in front of a live audience in this current musical climate,”
Still, not everyone is ready to cancel the seasoned DJ. Supporters argue that it’s unfair to judge DJ Speedsta’s entire set based on a single song played at the end. “Also, I feel like judging an entire set off of 1 song being played at the end of a set is unfair. Speedsta could have been playing fresher songs during his set. Yena self and that crowd knew what he played as a whole. We don’t know the full story, mos.”
But the Internet doesn’t forget. Speedsta faced similar backlash in 2021 for tweeting that Amapiano sets lack variety—an irony that resurfaced as screenshots circulated on X this week. With the spotlight now firmly on him, fans are waiting to see if he’ll adjust his tune or continue spinning the past.
