Goldmax is Zipho Mthembu, a gqom producer and DJ from KwaMashu, Durban — the township scene that incubated the genre's raw, off-kilter strain of dance music. He forms Distruction Boyz with Thobani 'Que' Mgobhozi in 2015 after the two keep crossing paths at local venues, and the duo's debut Gqom Is the Future (2017) becomes the first gqom album certified gold by RiSA, with the single 'Omunye' going gold as well. 'Omunye' wins Record of the Year at the 2018 SAMAs, and a BET Best International Act nomination follows the album abroad. When the duo announces a temporary split in February 2023, he moves quickly: a debut solo album, Amaketanga, and his own label, Golden Empire, arrive that April. Play At Your Own Risk, a 20-track joint album with Blacks Jnr released through EMPIRE in November 2024, keeps him at the centre of gqom's current wave.
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SunOrnza and GoldMax’s “AmaRazo” is a reminder that gqom never needed to be polite. It was built for sweat, pressure, bass and the moment the lights go down.
