LISTEN: Allen Grove producer and DJ signs with Gallo Records

REMEMBER the name J Maloe, because he may soon become one of the hottest house producers in the country.

Ramahloe ‘J Maloe’ Lefika released his new single Looking Back No More, featuring heavy weights Mthi HD and Squash, on April 24.

The Allen Grove resident’s song is already being played on radio stations such as YFM, Kaya FM and Metro FM, and is doing well.

“It has also been play listed and is charting on Bang Radio in the UK,” J Maloe’s manager, Sithembiso Ncube, said.

J Maloe adds: “The song is doing really well and I’m quite overwhelmed by the response it has received. And it’s actually doing better in Botswana and Mozambique.”

https://soundcloud.com/klassmates-1/looking-back-no-more

The producer and DJ, who recently signed with Gallo Records, will follow this up with the release of his new 12-track album Six 2 Six, which features international artists Pascal Morais and Troy Denari. The album will be released in June.

Although the producer’s music has been doing well and is starting to be recognised commercially, the journey hasn’t always been easy for J Maloe – even though he’s been in the industry for about eight years and has released many songs.

The 26-year-old began making beats when he was just 13 years old.

“Every day after school my friend and I would go to his house in Glen Marais and experiment with music. We downloaded this software called Fruity Loops and just fiddled around with it until we eventually got it right,” J Maloe recalls.

In 2004, the two friends started a house duo called Klassmates. Five years later, the duo released a song called Music under Canadian producer and DJ Nick Holder’s DNH Records.

“Nick heard our stuff on SoundCloud and approached us. At first I didn’t believe it and thought it was a prank,” the artist jokes, “but we just went ahead and it turned out to be a real thing.”

They went on to release over 30 songs under DNH Records.

But in 2013, the pair went their separate ways when J Maloe’s friend left the country.

However, that didn’t stop him from pursuing his passion. He continued making music and shortly after that released music with Pascal Morais from the Netherlands.

His career took shape after the release of his 2014 EP titled Sentenced to Groove under Arrecha Records. The EP consisted of top-selling single Oral Sax, which reached the top 10 best-selling tracks in the space of one week, and was also playlisted on radio station YFM.

“J Maloe has put in hard work and effort into moulding his music-making skill into a unique sound that represents him. It is now 2017 and he has focused his energy and skill into producing his new world class album under Gallo Records,” Ncube concluded.

His song Looking Back No More is out on iTunes, Google Play and Tidal, where it’s currently getting high rotation.

“The song is reflecting on my life and focusing on the future, and transitioning from being a solo artist to being signed under a record label,” J Maloe explained.