Born Mbongiseni Dludlu in Daggakraal, Mpumalanga, and raised in Diepsloot, HITMAN CEO’s journey is one rooted in resilience, hunger, and belief. Diepsloot, one of Johannesburg’s youngest townships, shaped his outlook on life. “Diepsloot is a small township and still young, so growing up there was fine,” he reflects. “But with so many challenges like having no role models or references that we can look up to.” In a space where opportunities felt distant and inspiration scarce, he chose to become the reference point he never had. Introduced to music at a young age by his late uncle, HITMAN CEO learned more than just rhythm and rhyme. He learned mindset. “He taught me not to take everything personal. This is the music business, some decisions are not personal but business-related. And he taught me to always respect time.”
That early foundation prepared him for the disappointments that come with chasing dreams. After losing a talent competition as a child, he didn’t retreat, he sharpened his skills. “It made me want more, practice more and sharpen my craft.” Kwaito was his entry point. At the time, Hip Hop had not yet fully taken root in kasi culture. But groups like Skwatta Kamp changed that narrative. “Hip Hop wasn’t big back in the days, so Kwaito was the go-to. But people like Skwatta Kamp made it possible to believe in our language because most of their crew members did it in vernac.” That shift ignited something deeper, a belief that township stories, told in their own voice, belonged on bigger stages.