Chris Theko
Sesotho Fashioneng rapper Ntate Stunna and rising rap sensation Sannere have seemingly put an end to their brief feud, which peaked with the release of Stunna’s diss track, After School, last Saturday.
The track, which directly called out Sannere and some of his associates, took fans by surprise as there had been no prior public indications of bad blood between the two—both of whom are considered among Lesotho’s hottest rappers today.
Despite Sannere opting not to respond with a diss track of his own, Stunna has since backtracked and called for a truce, raising speculation over whether the feud was real or simply a publicity stunt.
“I really would like to distance myself from all this beef saga, to protect this beautiful brand and all the family brands I associate with. Ana Ke amang a mabaka a sa mpaleisa hip hop. I sincerely apologize to everyone I disappointed with this, also my manager, who was never part of this, and all my business partners, ke itšoabetse,” Stunna wrote on his social media page.
As a gesture of apology, Stunna announced that he would be dropping a new song, Moya, this Friday.
Stunna later also shared the details of an event in which both him and Sannere are scheduled to perform.
Origins of the feud
In an exclusive interview with Newsday Arts, Ntate Stunna, real name Thaabe Letsie, revealed that he felt disrespected by Sannere’s lyrics and had to respond.
“From the first song I heard from Sannere, there was a sneak diss aimed at me,” Stunna claimed. He referenced a line from Bahale, a song by Citizen Ls featuring Sannere, where Sannere raps:
“Ba ntseng ba re Lesotho le mahetleng a bona, ba bua ka Lesotho le feng?”
Stunna interpreted this as a direct jab at him, as he had previously rapped in his 2020 song From Khaya to Jozi:
“I feel like Basotho ba mahetleng aka.”
He confronted Sannere at Malome Vector’s homecoming event, but said Sannere evaded the issue. To Stunna, this confirmed that the young rapper was using him as a stepping stone to industry recognition.
Further tension arose when Sannere released a track that included the line:
“Ba ntseng ba re ke li jersey number 10 ba khutle ba ilo mamela Bahale.”
At the time, Stunna was the only rapper referring to himself as Jersey Number 10.
“I even involved Malome Vector in the situation. I called him, and we talked about it. He had already confronted Sannere about it,” Stunna explained.
The conflict did not end there. Even after Malome Vector’s passing, Stunna claims Sannere continued excluding him from lists of top Basotho lyricists.
Beyond lyrical tensions, industry politics have played a role in the rift between the two camps. In December 2024, three members of Stunna’s label, Penya Play Productions—DJ Zacca, rapper Cheezy Brizzy, and photographer Mpho Tau—left the label.
Their exit was accompanied by a statement from Penya Play declaring a “New Era” focused on artist autonomy and creative freedom.
Shortly after their departure, Mpho Tau and DJ Zacca were seen working with Sannere’s label, Mets’oaka Group, which was launched in January 2024. Stunna believes financial disagreements and an attempt to hold the label “at ransom” contributed to their departure.
One of the most unexpected aspects of After School was that it was produced by Flash Cortez, a key member of Mets’oaka Group.
This was surprising because Cortez had announced a music hiatus in January—coincidentally, right after Mets’oaka Group’s launch.
When approached for comment, Sannere acknowledged that he and Stunna had a conversation at Malome Vector’s homecoming event, where they resolved their misunderstanding.
“We did meet at the event, and he confronted me about a line I used,” Sannere explained. “I told him it was just a misunderstanding—I wasn’t talking about him. It was simply a line that came up, not directed at anyone.”
Sannere said he never responded to the diss track because he wasn’t sure why he was being attacked.
“I didn’t respond to the diss track—neither by releasing my own nor by confronting him—because I was shocked. I had no idea why he was attacking me, and to this day, I still don’t know. As far as I’m concerned, we were on good terms.
Beef or marketing strategy?
Hip-hop has long been shaped by rivalries—from Tupac vs Biggie to Jay-Z vs Nas, and even South Africa’s AKA vs Cassper Nyovest. Some feuds remain lyrical, while others escalate into real-life conflicts.
With Stunna and Sannere now performing at the same event and Stunna promoting new music, fans are left wondering: Was this an actual beef, or just an industry strategy to generate hype?
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