Ruff

Ruff is a highly acclaimed producer and music engineer who made his mark in the industry in 2015 when he produced Roll Up by Emtee which became a sensation and one of the most requested songs on radio playlists in the years 2015 and 2016. Ruff was responsible for the engineering of Emtee’s debut studio album Avery which received more than 10 awards and sold Platinum only 6 months after its release. Ruff has produced well over 150 songs since he started 2015.

He has worked closely with Sjava on all his projects including the debut album, Isina Muva (SAMA: Best produced album), Umqhele (SAMA: Album of the year), Umphako and most recently Umsebenzi, which was released under 1020 Cartel, the pair's record label and brainchild. 

Ruff was also the lead producer on the critically acclaimed iSambuloalbum and has mixed & mastered all the projects released by 1020 Cartel since 2020, where his ear for quality and African genre-fluidity remain his deadliest weapon.

Awards

With numerous hit singles and best-selling albums, Ruff has mastered, produced and engineered albums that have gone on to receive numerous nominations and awards. Among these:

SAMAS: Best Produced Album (Isina Muva - Sjava)

Metro FM: Best Produced Album (Isina Muva - Sjava)

SAMAS:  Best Afro-pop album (Umqhele - Sjava)
MetroFM Awards:  Best Hip Hop album (Avery - Emtee)
SAMAS: Record of year (Roll up - Emtee)
SAMAS: Album of the year (Amazulu - Amanda Black)

SAMAS: Best Produced Album (Umsebenzi - Sjava)