Nadia Nakai Kandava, born Nadia Dlamini on May 18, 1990, in South Africa, is a rapper and songwriter. She attended Fourways High School in Johannesburg and studied at Monash University. Nakai's breakthrough came in 2013 when she won the Mixtape 101 contest on e.tv's Shiz Niz. Her debut single "Like Me" was released in September 2013, followed by collaborations with artists like Riky Rick and DotCom. In June 2015, she released her third single "Saka Wena" featuring Ice Prince. Nakai's EP Bragga was released in September 2016, preceded by the single "The Man" featuring Cassper Nyovest. Her debut album Nadia Naked was released on June 28, 2019, and included the single "Imma Boss." Nakai co-hosted MTV Base's Yo! MTV Raps South Africa in 2019 and won the Best Female Artist award at the All Africa Music Awards.
