South African R&B producer, singer, and songwriter Tellaman presents a complete self-portrait in his music—his subject matter spans love, sex, and God. Born Thelumusa Samuel Owen in Durban in 1991, Tellaman started his recording career in his teen years. An ally of hip-hop superstar Nasty C, Tellaman appeared on three tracks on the rapper’s 2016 debut album Bad Hair. But it was his appearance on DJ Speedsta’s 2016 hit single “Mayo” which introduced him and then-newcomers Frank Casino, Shane Eagle, and Yung Swiss to the South African mainstream. He began his solo career with the 2016 mixtape Heart vs. Mind and the 2018 EP Lucid Dream, which he followed up with his official debut, God Decides, in 2019. That record’s lead single, “Whipped,” became one of the year’s definitive songs of the summer thanks to its infectious disco bounce.