The “raised-by-a-single-mother" narrative is common in rap. So much that rap songs about fatherhood are few and far between.

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For Fathers' Day, we dug for some rap gems from South Africa which show appreciation to fathers, and those of rappers talking about their roles as fathers, in this updated list.

Featuring selections from South African names like Nasty C, Stogie T, Cassper Nyovest, Riky Rick, Reason, ProVerb and more, this list of 13 songs will take you into the love, care, and, sometimes, neglect that comes along with fatherhood.

Hear 13 South African hip-hop songs about fatherhood below.

Nasty C - “Dear Oliver”

Nasty C has come a long way; from spitting raps in front of his classmates in high school to becoming one of the most influential rappers shaping a new wave of South African — and indeed, African — hip-hop. The self-proclaimed “coolest kid in Africa” bares his heart on “Oliver,” a tender track tucked at the very end of his 2023 album I Love It Here, produced by the incomparable No I.D. With lines like “you give me drive like I tossed you a pair of keys / I thought before I’d have you, I would’ve asked your mama to marry me,” the song captures the raw emotion and anticipation of a father-to-be. It belongs in the same breath as Tupac’s “Letter 2 My Unborn" – a heartfelt testament to paternal love. If a father’s love could be wrapped in a song, Nasty C’s “Oliver” would be a definite contender.

Stogie T - “Son Of A Soldier”

There’s no magic to fatherhood. One simply shows up, consistently, and grows through the process. When fully surrendered to, fatherhood can become a transformative experience, perhaps even the highest expression of love. On “Son of a Soldier,” supreme emcee Stogie T reflects on a life shaped by exile: raised by parents devoted to the liberation struggle, losing his father young, and globetrotting with his mother while receiving a political education of the highest calibre. Yet the song is also steeped in the trauma of paternal absence. “Son of a cadre, only one of them made it / some agent laced my daddy whisky with a foreign agent,” he raps, an arresting line that distills the quiet violence of exile and the sacrifice of a freedom fighter’s life cut short.

HHP - “Mmago Prago”

The late, great HHP was a maverick storyteller, Biggie Smalls-level precise, wielding potent Setswana with ease, mixing in isiZulu, Afrikaans, and any other language he could lay his hands on. An entertainer extraordinaire, his brilliance often masked the darkness he carried. So when he died by suicide in 2018, the nation was left gutted, robbed of its beloved summer hitmaker, and confronted with a grief no groove could shake.

HHP’s reflections on fatherhood leaned heavily into his own shortcomings. In one devastating line, the chorus goes: “I guess it’s true that a baby ha se lerato,” a sobering reminder that the presence of children doesn’t always mean love is alive in a relationship. Using the mic like a confessional booth, he unpacks heartbreak, regret, and the quiet ache of broken intimacy. He tells us his partner left after twelve years: “She tells me she’s tired of drying tears, she packed up her stuff le tsa ngwana, eena o ikela makhaya” (“along with the child’s things, she is going back home”). Elsewhere, he admits to the reasons behind their unraveling – being too busy, never making time to truly love her.

Khuli Chana - “Diary”

Khuli Chana has a rare gift for releasing off-grid bangers, songs that often start life on his Facebook page or in private circles before reaching a wider audience. “Diary” is one such gem. First shared online years before it found a home on his 2018 Planet Of The Have Nots album, his return to form after a quiet spell, it remains one of the most vulnerable songs in his catalogue.

On “Diary,” Khuli pours his soul onto the page, unpacking the complexities of family and fame. He makes a promise to defend his sister from the man who got her pregnant, vents about the pressure from his aunts to settle down – something he would later do with Lameez Holworthy – and sends heartfelt condolences to fallen friends. But it’s in the second verse that the song truly stings: “Ten years later, everything is looking good but not me and pops / I wonder how he felt after he heard I got shot ‘cause he ain’t bother to reach out.”

It’s a passing line, just two bars, but it lands like a gut punch. A reference to the 2013 incident when police opened fire on his vehicle, nearly killing him. It also gestures to something deeper: a silence between father and son that lingers even in moments of near-death. That kind of estrangement can shape a man. Fractured father-son relationships have real consequences, and it’s often up to the wounded to find the courage to break the cycle.

Cassper Nyovest “Superman" (ft. Tshepo Tsola)

Cassper Nyovest featured Lesotho music legend Tshepo Tshola, who is the rapper's dad's favorite musician, on a song he dedicated to all fathers. In the song, Nyovest talks of his father as a superman for the lessons he taught him (“Thanks for teaching me to believe in The Word/ Thank you for teaching me to never hit a girl/ Thank you for teaching me to cry when I hurt/ Thank you for teaching me to cry when I hurt") and for protecting him from bullies in school, among other things. Tshepo Tshola's vocals give the song soul and a nostalgic feel.

A-Reece “Family" (ft. P-Jay and Amanda Black)

“Family" is one of A-Reece's best songs—the storytelling is astounding as the rapper narrates how he grew up with parents who were sleeping on separate beds, and how it affected him and his siblings. A-Reece's mother was the breadwinner as his father was jobless and didn't care for the family. It led to Reece assuming the breadwinner role at 16. He hated life because of his father. But the song ends on a good note, as Reece has forgiven his father, who now has a job, and is playing his role. "Family" is an intense, painful, and beautiful song from a gifted rapper. Amanda Black's hook is a tearjerker of note.

Emtee “Avery"

Emtee's debut album Avery was named after his son and the title track is dedicated to him. Over a mellow key-heavy beat, Emtee pours his heart out, revealing that his son is the best thing that has ever happened to him, and is the reason he hustles and makes sure he gets the best for him. What makes the song effective is that it's told in second person, so it's like you are listening to a father talking to his son, giving him advice and telling him how much he loves him.

Reason “No Sleep" Remix (featuring Tumi, L-Tido, Ginger Trill and Monoea)

The remix of Reason's song “No Sleep" isn't entirely about fatherhood but Reason's verse is. The rapper had just lost his son, and it led to one of his best verses to date (and he has a lot of those). He was remorseful and broken, spitting touching lines like: “I'm thinking how can they doubt me/ They thinking how can you not sleep?/ I'm thinking the most I spent on my son was a funeral paid with rhyme schemes/ Rest in peace to Lil O/ May God accept his little soul/ I'll do my best to live with the fact that he'll never see me kill shows."

ProVerb “The Journey"

ProVerb's music has always been autobiographical. Towards the end of his second album Manuscript (2006), ProVerb took some time to talk to his unborn child, and gave us access. The music he was given by Battlekat was fitting—a warm bass line, smooth keys and soft percussion. The rapper spoke of his excitement, fear and apprehension of the idea of being a first-time father. He rapped: “I'm being brave for the sake of everyone involved/ But truth is I'm a little afraid of what's going on/ I haven't even told your grandmoms/ Don't think I'm a coward, I just communicate better through my songs." His delivery was also smooth—as if he was giving his baby a lullaby.

Riky Rick “Papa Song"

On “Papa Song," Riky Rick talks of his late father and how growing up without a father affected him after being a drug addict, he eventually became a stronger man. There is vulnerability in his voice and the sinewy synths add to the song's somber mood.

An excerpt: “I miss you, pops, we miss you, pops/ To tell you the truth, no one cared if you were rich or not/ All I ever wanted was daddy to hold me down, to ask me questions/ They say my daddy never around when you got sick, I think I got the feeling you'd die/ But I never had the courage to cry/ So now I'm at the bar/ I'm thinking my life done/ 'Cause everything you know you meant to teach it to your son/ And everything you need to know you meant to learn it from your daddy"

ProVerb ft. HHP “Bread Winners"

On his third album, 'Verb was a different man than the man he was on his previous two albums—the unborn baby he was talking about on “The Journey" had done some growing up. “Bread Winners" saw him and fellow rapper HHP celebrate fatherhood and being responsible family men. “Breadwinners" even featured ProVerb's baby's vocals. The video, which was shot in a mall and contributes to the song's narrative, showed the two emcees shopping for babies' toys and clothes.

Sjava (ft. Saudi) "Baba"

On the song, Sjava talks to his late father. He talks about missing him and wonders if his father is watching over him or is proud of his achievements. He tells him he is not mad at him for breaking up with his mother. He even wonders if his purpose in life to ask for forgiveness from his mother on his father's behalf. Pretty intense.

N'Veigh "1st of June"

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On his debut album titled Peanut Butter, N'Veigh dedicated a whole song to his son, expressing his dear love to his "beautiful boy." He tells the story from when his little one was born, to present day. He touches on the uncertainties that come with knowing you are about to father, citing some advice his father gave him about being a parent.

For some of the world's greatest artists and creatives, the first person who stood behind their passion was their father. There is an immeasurable sense of courage and strength that comes from a father's steady guiding hand as one chases one's dreams. Especially if those dreams are non-traditional. Music artists like Davido and Beyoncé, for instance, have routinely credited their fathers for instilling a sense of responsibility in them, even as they chose unconventional pathways, and when it didn't immediately make sense.

Ahead of this year's Father's Day, OkayAfrica spoke with five African artists from different disciplines and mediums about the fondest memories they have of their fathers. The anecdotes they share are filled with small and big moments, simple experiences that have been critical in shaping their artistic identities. For these artists and creatives, the best memories they have of their fathers were made in nightly child-father conversations, a nod of approval, a pat on the back, and in a staunch vocal show of support when everyone seemed to be against them. The memories shared by these artists are a reminder that the most consequential impact of fatherhood is found not merely in provision but in presence.

Yagazie Emezi: Artist

I have many fond memories with my father, but this one resonates the most. I was a latchkey kid, and at that point, it was just my father and me living alone. He would usually come back late from work, around 8 or 9 p.m. Sometimes 10 p.m. I would always go outside to greet him whenever he returned and help him with his bag. He always had a snack for me: some roasted plantain, suya, or groundnut, and we would walk back to the house together. As we walked back, he would ask about my day, and I would ask him about work. The night sky was always very clear where we lived, and you could see a lot of stars.

At the time, I had taken an interest in astrology, and my favorite thing to point out to my dad was the Orion's Belt. It was the most recognizable to me as a child, and I always liked telling my dad fun facts about the pyramids of Giza being replicated as Orion's Belt, and it being a mirror to the heavens. Every time I told him these facts, he would always be interested and engaged, although now I know he may have been faking interest. I love that memory so much that I had a part of the Orion's Belt constellation tattooed on my arm because of what that memory means to me.

Nicole Asinugo: Writer and Filmmaker

One of my fondest memories of my dad is the day he saw my magazine. I was in law school at the time, struggling to stay afloat — and this was the first creative project I'd ever made that he could actually see and hold in his hands. He picked it up, studied the cover, and flipped through each page slowly, silently. Then he turned to me, a little puzzled, and asked, "You did this?" I nodded. He looked me square in the eye and said, "Then do this."

That moment felt like permission — the kind I didn't even know I needed. It wasn't about law school anymore. I realized he didn't need me to be great at school; he just wanted me to be great at something. And if writing was that thing, then he was all in. That affirmation still means the world to me.

Joojo Addison: Artist

Most of the memories I have of my dad are from my childhood. We watched football together and took strolls. And he often taught me how to pray when he was about to leave for work, and I headed to school. When I started making music, he saw a story about me in school where I had on my earrings. He asked why I was wearing earrings and tried to talk me out of it, but in the end, he was open-minded rather than being too strict or dictatorial about it. We had a conversation about it, and he listened. He was very receptive, and I liked that about him.

Emeka Nwagbaraocha: Actor

I have many fond memories of my dad, which often involved him taking me to his office and spending time there after school. But there's a specific memory that's etched in my brain, and every time I think about it, I realize how much my dad loves me and all his children. Growing up, I didn't like bread. One time, I refused to eat it for breakfast. Everyone else and my mum, who refused to indulge my dislike for bread, ignored me as I threw tantrums. I was banging my head on the wall and crying till my dad came back. When my mum told him why I was having a fit, my dad asked, "What do you want to eat?" I said, "Biscuits." He sent someone to get it for me, and that moment made me realize that he understood each of his children and would do anything to provide for us.

Goodness Emmanuel: Producer

My father has a knack for anticipating the needs of his loved ones, even when they don't know they need it. He's also very doting. One of my fondest memories with him was when I was still at university. I was living off-campus, and on this day, I had returned from lectures feeling tired. The next thing, I saw my father sitting in front of my door, watching a man cut the patch of grass in front of my flat. He had left work, called the gardener, and brought him to where I was staying. He didn't call or tell me; he just wanted me to return from school and see that the front of my house had been cleared. I hadn't even realized it was overgrown. There are many such memories of my university days.