Super Hero Ego: Golden Shovel’s Animated Hip-Hop Universe
- Uncle Smesh!
Super Hero Ego: Behind the Animation¶
When Golden Shovel’s Super Hero Ego first hit the web, fans got more than just a music video — they witnessed the birth of a South African hip-hop universe.
If you caught our Season 1 Recap, you already know the energy. But this time, we’re diving behind the scenes — into the creative process that brought the Super Hero Ego animation to life.
🎥 Watch the Official Animated Video¶
The Vision: Heroes Without Capes¶
“To say that it was an honour to provide the visuals for this banger is an understatement,” says The’Main Man, the animator behind the project.
When Golden Shovel reached out for visuals, The’Main Man — founder of World Wide Studios — immediately saw the potential to do something different.
Instead of going with capes and spandex, he imagined a world of ninjas, drawing inspiration from Naruto and classic anime battle scenes.
“I wanted that anime aesthetic to be heavy in the video, but with an urban South African twist,” he explains. “The city is under siege by an alien threat, and it’s up to our heroes to save the day.”
Each emcee became a fully realized animated warrior — a lyrical superhero with powers that reflect their style:
- Golden Shovel – The powerhouse, influenced by Superman. Laser eyes. Spirit avatar towering over buildings.
- Mothipa – The dark knight of the crew. Brooding on a gargoyle. Channelling pure aura energy.
- ProVerb – The hand-to-hand specialist, all punchlines and precision — “straight hands.”
- Reason – The sword master, embodying slick wordplay and explosive rhythm.
The result? A visual metaphor for the rap game itself — a world where elite lyricists step up to save hip-hop from mediocrity.
“I grew up on skop, skiet en donner,” laughs The’Main Man. “So I made sure the action hit that hard too.”
The Origins: From Studio to Screen¶
Long before the visuals, the song itself was already a powerhouse.
Back in 2016, while balancing his role as a partner at Fossil Records, Golden Shovel conceived Super Hero Ego as a collaboration between lyrical giants ProVerb, Reason, and Mothipa — each one a respected name in the underground.
“These were not only superheroes of rap in my eyes,” Golden Shovel recalls, “but long-term allies.”
The chemistry was real — built over years of shared sessions and classic projects:
- With ProVerb on Heavy 8 (Zubz – Listener’s Digest) and Overcast (Optical Illusion – Definitive)
- With Reason on The Streets (NASA – Now And Still After)
- With Mothipa on Kings of Another Kingdom (Golden Shovel – Lost Gospels)
Produced by Cyrus Beats, recorded and mixed by BattleKat (who also blessed the hook), Super Hero Ego came alive at Kool Out Studios, with Instro, Pava Gunz, and Centiago in the room.
It wasn’t made for radio — but destiny had other plans. Metro FM’s Oskido and SABC1’s Live gave the joint national exposure, letting the underground shine on mainstream airwaves.
The Resurrection: A Hero Reborn¶
After several false starts with animation attempts, the stars finally aligned when Golden Shovel connected with The’Main Man via social media.
Within weeks, Super Hero Ego had a new life — not just as a music video, but as a full-blown animated short.
“After years of not coming right with the first creator,” Golden Shovel says, “The’Main Man came through and delivered the Super Hero Ego official music video — quickly, beautifully, and with respect to the original story.”
The result is a piece of hip-hop history — crafted from the soul of the underground, sharpened by anime precision, and powered by the spirit of collaboration.
Sometimes, even superheroes need time before they can fly again.
🎬 Credits
Animation: The’Main Man
Facebook: https://wwww.facebook.com/the.main.man.134399
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/world_wide_studios
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/world-wide-studios
Music: Golden Shovel ft. ProVerb, Reason & Mothipa
Produced by: Cyrus Beats
Recorded & Mixed by: BattleKat @ Kool Out Studios