Lehlogonolo Ronald Mataboge, (born March 27, 1997) known professionally as A-Reece, is a South African rapper and songwriter, born and raised in Pretoria, Gauteng. A-Reece was signed with Ambitiouz Entertainment in 2015. After disputes with management, he left to become an independent artist. He gained fame when he released his single, "Couldn't" (2015), featuring Emtee.
A-Reece released his debut studio album, Paradise (2016) which produced the singles, "Couldn't" and "Mngani". In 2017, A-Reece released his second album From Me to You & Only You. In 2019, he released Reece Effect. He also released several EPs notably being Gwan Big Up Urself and And I'm Only 21.
After having financial disputes with Ambitiouz Entertainment, the Wrecking Crew was formed with Mashbeatz. The Wrecking Crew consists of MashBeatz, Ex Global, Wordz, and other former members – Flvme, Ecco, Mellow. The Wrecking Crew changed names to Rubberband Records after the departure of Flvme, Ecco and Mellow.
Early life and career[]
Lehlogonolo Mataboge was born on March 27 1997 and originates from Pretoria, Gauteng. He started writing music in primary school following the footsteps of his older brother Phologo Jody Mataboge, known as P-Jay from the hip hop duo B3nchMarQ and is cousins of Liyema and Hlumelo Moni.Close friends with Endinako Boyce He got his stage name "A-Reece" from his star sign Aries.
In 2015, he signed to Ambitiouz Entertainment and released his first single "Couldn't" under the label, featuring Emtee. He released Cutaways, an EP, on 29 September 2016 which consists of songs that did not make the cut for his debut album Paradise. His debut album was later released on 21 October 2016 and topped the No.1 spot on iTunes just under 24 hours after its release. He went on to release his second studio album From Me To You And Only You to celebrate the anniversary of his debut album. A year later, on 21 October 2018, he released an EP titled And I'm Only 21.
Ambitiouz Entertainment controversy[]
Ambitiouz Entertainment went under much scrutiny after artists Fifi Cooper, B3nchMarQ, A-Reece and Flame left the label in a very public and ugly fight. Artists claimed that they decided to part ways with the record label because of financial disagreements. Fifi Cooper went on to say that she had been signed for over two years to the label yet had not received a single cent from her performances, as well as royalties. The record label also went on to remove all of A-Reece's music videos from their YouTube channel and his Facebook page was also deleted.
Discography[]
Albums[]
| Album Title | Album Details |
|---|---|
| Paradise |
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| From Me to You And Only You |
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Mixtapes[]
| Mixtape Title | Mixtape Details |
|---|---|
| Forever King |
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Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award Ceremony | Prize | Work/Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2016 South African Hip Hop Awards | Lyricist Of The Year | Himself | Won |
| Best Video | Couldn't (featuring Emtee) | Nominated |