DJ Cleo, (DJ / Music Producer, Song Writer)
Born: 24 December 
Birthplace:  South Africa
Best Known As: Eskhaleni Best DJ

Cleopas Monyepao, a.k.a. DJ Cleo started his music carrer at the age of ten, founder of Will Of Steel Productions Started in Johannesbeburg in 2002, WOS, has fast become one of southern Africa's brightest and hottest labels.  

Discography:

Solo:

     Album title: Eskhaleni Zone 3
     Artist: DJ Cleo
     Category: House
     Label: Will Of Steel Productions/Ghetto Ruff
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2006

     Album Title: Eskhaleni Ext2
     Artist: DJ Cleo
     Category: House
     Label: Will Of Steel Productions/Ghetto Ruff
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2005

     Album title: Eskhaleni Ext
     Artist: DJ Cleo
     Category: House
     Label: Will Of Steel Productions/Ghetto Ruff
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2004

Group/Duo:

     Album Title: Gatecrasher meets Afrika
     Artist: DJ Fresh & Glen Lewis
     Category: House
     Label: N/A
     Format: CD
     Release Date: N/A

     Album Title: House of t-bose Volume One
     Artist: T-bose Metro FM
     Category: House
     Label: N/A
     Format: CD
     Release Date: N/A

     Album Title: Fresh House Flava 5
     Artist: DJ Fresh
     Category: House
     Label: N/A
     Format: CD
     Release Date: N/A

     Album Title: House of t-bose Volume Two
     Artist: T-bose Metro FM
     Category: House
     Label: N/A
     Format: CD
     Release Date: N/A

     Album Title: Mzansi House Volume One
     Artist: Various Artists
     Category: House
     Label: N/A
     Format: CD
     Release Date: N/A

Soundtrack:

     Album Title: Tsotsi
     Artist: Various Artists
     Category: Rap/Hip Hop/Kwaito/House
     Label: Ghetto Ruff
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2006

     Album Title: Gazlam II
     Artist: Various Artists
     Category: Rap/Hip Hop/Kwaito/House
     Label: Ghetto Ruff
     Format: CD
     Release Date: N/A

Production:

     Album Title: S'guqa ngamadolo
     Artist: Mzekezeke
     Category: Kwaito
     Label: Ghetto Ruff/TS Records
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2003

     Album Title: Puff & Pass
     Artist: Brown Dash
     Category: Kwaito
     Label: Ghetto Ruff/TS Records
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2003

     Album Title: Storotoro
     Artist: Mzekezeke
     Category: Kwaito
     Label: TS Records/CCP
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2004

     Album Title: Styling Gel
     Artist: Pitch Black Afro
     Category: Rap/Hip-Hop
     Label: Will Of Steel Productions/Ghetto Ruff
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2004

     Album Title: Phinda Vuke
     Artist: Mandoza
     Category: Kwaito
     Label: CCP
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2004

     Album Title: Ngwazi
     Artist: Doc Shebeleza
     Category: Kwaito
     Label: N/A
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2004

     Album Title: The Bouga Luv Album
     Artist: Kabelo
     Category: Rap/Kwaito
     Label: Universal/Electromode
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2004

     Album Title: Back on Campus
     Artist: Skwatta Kamp
     Category: Rap/Kwaito/Hip-Hop
     Label: ButtaBing
     Format: CD
     Release Date: 2006

Nominations:

Artist of the year - Mzekezeke (S'guqa ngamadolo) 2002 SAMAS
Song of the year - Mzekezeke (S'guqa ngamadolo) 2002 SAMAS
Artist of the year - Mzekezeke (Storotoro) 2003 SAMAS
Song of the year - Mzekezeke (Storotoro) 2003 SAMAS
Best Hip-Hop Album - Pitch Black Afro (Styling Gel) 2004 Metro FM Awards
Best Rap Album -  Pitch Black Afro (Styling Gel) 2004 SAMAS
Best Newcomer - Brickz (Facebrick) SAMAS 2005
Best Kwaito Album - Brickz (Facebrick) SAMAS 2005
Best music video - DJ Cleo (Es'khaleni Ext2) Channel O Awards 2006

Awards Won:

Artist of the year - Mzekezeke (S'guqa ngamadolo) 2002 SAMAS
Song of the year - Mzekezeke (S'guqa ngamadolo) 2002 SAMAS
Artist of the year - Mzekezeke (S'guqa ngamadolo) 2003 SAMAS
Song of the year - Mzekezeke (S'guqa ngamadolo) 2003 SAMAS
Best Hip-Hop Album - Pitch Black Afro (Styling Gel) 2004 Metro FM Awards
Best Newcomer - Brickz (Facebrick) SAMAS 2005
Best Kwaito Album - Brickz (Facebrick) SAMAS 2005
Best music video - DJ Cleo (Es'khaleni Ext2) Channel O Awards 2006

Birth Name: Cleopas Monyepao
Genre: Rap/Hip-Hop/Kwaito/House/Reggae
Active: 2000s
Instrument: Vynils, Keyboards

Started in Johannesbeburg in 2002, WOS, has fast become one of southern Africa's brightest and hottest labels. Lead by the dynamic DJ talent of Cleopas "DJ Cleo Monyepao, WOS is now home to a selection of SA's finest new talent.

DJ Cleo, who hails from Gauteng's East Rand, began his musical career at the tender age of ten. Having Marabi styles close to his heart, and being a bass player, Cleo sought out programming and engineering skills, even doing a stint at Allenby Campus on sound engineering, as he pursued a new concept in musicianship, that being the marriage of musical instrumental skills, programming skills and engineering skills.

A fortunate meeting with Ashifa Shabba, afforded him the opportunity to work in radio at Y FM. Cleo found producing for radio a natural extension of himself, and soon was exploring the producing full music for both himself and others.

Cleo's debut recording was "Will of Steel which featured on the DJ Glen Lewis/DJ Fresh's "Gatecrasher double CD compilation. The release was in real terms a great success for Cleo, and genuinely a portent of things to come, as soon he was producing and composing more and more music for more and more people. In fact whilst it would be a while before DJ Cleo would see his own debut album released, the proceeds from "Will of Steel provided the wherewithal to start Will of Steel Productions (PTY) Ltd, his wholly owned label, production house and publisher, and many hits were first to follow.

In 2003, the first of string of other artist releases, with Cleo's compositions and production abilities in full force, hit the market. Mzekezeke (first 2 releases, S'guqa ngamadolo & Storotoro) and Brown Dash (Puff and Pass) might arguably not have achieved the heights they have without the extraordinary production and songwriting input from Cleo.

Not content to sit back, WOS began to sign it's own artists in 2004, starting with Pitch Black Afro, where he produced and composed the classic "Matofotofo", and then Brickz in 2005, releasing another smash album, with another equally classic track "Sweety my baby".

In 2004, in between Pitch Black Afro and Brickz, Cleo released his debut solo album as DJ Cleo, which was critically acclaimed, and to a certain extent was a compilation of his work to date. He then followed in 2005, with undoubtedly Will of Steel's biggest seller to date, his second solo release "Eskhaleni Ext 2". One innovation that this release brought to the SA (and world) market was the creative approach linking opera and kwaito - with "Goodbye being the result.

Many of SA's biggest contemporary artists and projects have sought out the outstanding producing and composing skills that Cleo brings to the table, Mandoza, Kabelo, Doc Shebeleza and the Coca Cola Popstars project are amongst a few.

This company certainly has the Will Of Steel and is growing to be South Africa's most sout after production stable as new Artists are being signed every year.

For more information phone
Tel:+27 11 484 7263 / +27 11 447 1943
Fax:+27 11 484 1306 / +27 11 447 1607

or email: info@willofsteel.co.za

For comments email: djcleo@willofsteel.co.za

or check out www.willofsteel.co.za / www.djcleo.co.za

Last Updated 2007