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CHART- topper, Unicef ambassador and voice of the 4th PowerPuff Girl on Cartoon Network, ToyaDelazy is a musician, from Durban, South Africa. Her music is a blend of Jazz, Electro and Hip-Hop (she calls it JEHP).

Pianist, producer, rapper and singer-songwriter Latoya Buthelezi, known as ToyaDelazy, has made her mark as one of the finest performers to break new ground in the South Africa’s burgeoning music industry. At age 9 she began to train in classical piano, and attended Howard College’s Jazz Program in Durban in 2009. Due to her exposure to different influences, from Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, Skrillex, to Radiohead and Kings of Leon, she pieced together the different nuances, performing around Durban’s pubs with her keyboard and a beatboxer, before being scouted to play Africa Day in 2011.

Toya eventually signed to Sony Music Africa and released her debut album “Due Drop” in April 2012, raising the bar to fresh, new heights. With more than 1600 radio plays and 400 000 Youtube views*, her first single “Pump It On” dominated across South Africa’s Top 40 for 16 weeks and beyond, with the iconic video. The “live life to the fullest” concept behind the track prompted Reebok to recruit her as a brand ambassador in 2012. With following singles “Heart,” “Love Is In The Air” and “Are You Gonna Stay”, Due Drop soon reached Gold status and got Awarded as Newcomer of The Year, Best Pop Album and Best Produced at the 2013 South African Music Awards and, the same year, received a BET Award Nomination for Best International Act. After a 120 dates Tour across Southern Africa, between 2012 and 2014, Toya also opened for Paolo Nutini and Ne-Yo during their African Tour.

In 2014, released her 2nd album, titled “Ascension”, with hit singles “Forbidden Fruit” and “My City”. The album propelled Toya to international levels, headlining at the Apollo Theater NYC, scoping Best International Song Award at the 2016 Out Music Awards held in New York with Forbidden Fruit. Toya left Sony the next year when the two parties couldn't come to terms on a dysfunctional management deal, to start her own record label, Delazy Entertainment.

In 2017, following 2 years off the radar, Toya sporadically released new tracks online, namely ‘Diamonds in the Rough’, ‘No Follow’, ‘Kekeke’ and ‘Look at God’ to finally release her third offering ‘Uncommodified’ on the 8th December 2017. Together with the release came a collaborative music video with Unicef for ‘KhulaKhula’. The new art piece shows Toya’s creative growth, adventuring in future bass and grime sounds, with a touch of soul. The album and singles were added to the the official ‘Spotify Radar’ playlist and ‘Hot Tracks’ and ‘Best of the week’ playlists by Apple Music, who described the album a ‘spectacular multidisciplinary musical artwork’. The first official single was called ‘Greatest’ and has been followed by ‘London Town’.

It was in 2018 that ToyaDelazy meets up with Kingstone Records during the international music conference Midem in Cannes, France. They share the same philosophy on music and work and starts collaborating together.

PRESS QUOTES

Rolling Stone: "Sassy and classy enough to compete globally."
The Times: "ToyaDelazy's sound - masterful blend of pop, soul, jazz and electro - is unique and refreshing."
Cosmopolitan: "an ice-cool talent who creates music that will make you misty-eyed."
Apple Music: “Uncommodified is nothing less than a spectacular multidisciplinary musical artwork”
Earmilk: “Brimming with intense youthful energy”