Tkay Maidza hip hops to national, international music career with early development support from South Australia
Tkay Maidza took on a full-time musical career via the Northern Sound System at Elizabeth, in Adelaide's northern suburbs. She also was awarded a Robert Stigwood fellowship, to be mentored and professionally developed, by the Music Development Office in South Australia.
Tkay Maidza (Takudzwa Victoria Maidza),a Zimbabwean-born singer/songwriter and hip hop artist, built an international career from early support in South Australia.
The daughter of an industrial chemist and metallurgist, Maidza moved to Australia in 2001 when she was five and to Adelaide in 2010. She graduated from St Michael’s College at Adelaide’s Henley Beach in 2010 and started studying architecture at the University of South Australia. Maidza abandoned that, and a promising career in professional tennis, after taking part in Adelaide's Northern Sound System artist development.. She also was awarded a Robert Stigwood fellowship, to be mentored and professionally developed, by the Music Development Office in South Australia.
As a precursor to many nominations for national awards, Maidza swept the South Australian Music Awards between 2014 and 2018 with wins in best electronic, best release, best female, best video (“Switch Lanes" by Sachio Cook), best song, best international collaboration and most poppulatr hip hop categories.
Maidza uploaded her 2013 "Handle My Ego", featuring Badcop, onto Triple J’s Unearthed and, that year, released her debut single, “Brontosaurus” with producer BadCop. It peaked at No.89 on the ARIA (Australian recording Industry Association) charts. " “U-Huh”, produced by Adelaide-born later Sydney-based Dew Process producerL.K. McKay, was released in 2014 and certified platinum in 2022.
Maidza’s 2014 her debut EP (extended play) and mixtape was Switchtape, with Night Slugs, Bok Bok and producter SBTRKT. Maidza performed at Triple J’s 40th anniversary 2015 Beat the Drum concert, including with other Australian guest rappers on an extended version of Hilltop Hoods’ “Cosby Seater”. Maidza played most Australian major festivals in 2015,
In 2016, producer Martin Solveig released the Maidza’s featured single, “Do it right”. Also that year, her “Carry On” featured guest vocals from United States of America rapper Killer Mike and was the first single from her debut album Tkay. The album peaked at No.20 on ARIA charts and was nominated for many ARIA awards. In 2018, Maidza released the first of an EPs trilogy titled Last Year Was Weird.
In May 2020, Maidza signed with English independent label 4AD and released single "Shook" with praise from NME and Rolling Stone. In 2020, Last Year Was Weird (Volume 2) was nominated for best soul/R&B release in the ARIA awards. The third and final Last Year Was Weird series in 2021 won ARIA’s best soul/R&B release. "Real Nice (H.C.T.F.)" with Young Franco, featuring Nerve, became the theme song for Australian and New Zealand A-League soccer .
In 2023, Maidza's cover of Pixies’ “Where is my mind?” was used in an AirPods commercial by Apple. She also released “Silen Assassin”; with Flume, followed by "Ring-a-Ling" and her second studio album Sweet Justice.
