From 3-Step pioneer to global force: Thakzin opens ‘Gods Window’

THAKZIN, born Thabang Mathebula, has become one of the most recognised forces in South African music.

- LUTHO PASIYA

THAKZIN has become one of the most recognised forces in South African music. ARTHUR DLAMINI

His debut album, Gods Window Pt.1, marks a turning point in his career - not as a declaration of dominance, but as a gesture of service.

Known for innovation and his role in the rise of 3-Step, he positioned this project not as a showcase but as an offering.

"I wanted this album to take people on a journey," he said.

"Honest music, spiritual music - from the start to the finish, no escape. You must go through every emotion. It is vulnerable, it is spiritual and you must feel all of it."

Gods Window Pt.1 spans 18 tracks, structured as a passage through past, present and the future. It draws from ancestral rhythms, contemporary community and the ambition to build something new for generations to come.

Thakzin made it clear that this is not an album for passive listening. However, it is an experience that he hopes listeners will surrender to.

Many listeners and fellow artists often credit Thakzin as the creator of 3-Step, a sub-genre that has gained global traction in recent years. But he resisted any title that isolates him.

"I do not like the word king. I prefer pioneer," he said. "This sound belongs to South Africa, to Africa. Yes, it was born here, it started here. But it does not belong to one person. It belongs to the world."

He recalled speaking, three years ago, about the need for young producers to enter and mould the genre. Today, he sees those words unfolding.

"It is growing. Back then, I said, let the young kids come in and try this. It should be a young person's game. Now it is happening: new kids are stepping in, bringing their own perspective and sparking conversations. We manifested this. And it will keep growing."