Kyle (Cameron) Cassim was born and raised in a small town called Benoni, where coincidentally Hollywood superstar Charlize Theron and International DJ Themba (Euphonik) were also born.
Kyle’s passion for music began from the moment he was born as he was influenced by his father’s deep passion for Disco and House music. At the age of 13 his dad bought him a mobile disco to start performing at school discos, weddings, corporates and his friend’s birthday parties.
After studying Law at the University of Pretoria for 4 years, Kyle realised his passion did not lie in Law but within music, for it was his music that kept him going throughout those four years at university. Between the ages of 19 and 22 Kyle performed at a small bar called Cheeky Monkey where he slowly developed a following. He was then given a residency at a Pretoria club called Ty’s where he caught the attention of more established DJs such as DJ Fresh, Kent, Milkshake, Roger Goode and Mark Stent. At this stage Mark Stent, who not only became a mentor but a close friend to Kyle, offered him a set on his stage at the prestigious H2O festival in Johannesburg.
It was here that the masses started to realise the energy, talent and vibe Kyle had behind the DJ booth.
In 2012, after having a discussion with now long-time industry friend Vimo, he decided he was not going to be an “open format” DJ anymore and only concentrate on House music. It wasn’t long after this that he did his first European tour to the Netherlands in 2012 alongside Jeff Doubleu, Franky Rizardo and Skitzofrenix.
Between the years 2012 and 2014 Kyle quickly became a household name in South Africa and Mozambique and played his first Ultra South Africa Festival in 2014. 2 years went by before he did yet another European trip where he performed at the Ibiza Rocks Club in Ibiza as well as two shows in London. Upon his arrival in South Africa, Kyle was head hunted by the iconic national radio station 5fm where they offered him his own show titled “The Kyle Cassim Show” every Saturday night. The show turns 6 years old this year and has become a pillar of dance music locally and internationally.
During this time Kyle also took this opportunity to merge his love for food and music together by creating his own tv show called “Cassim’s Kitchen” where he invites some of SA’s finest DJs into his home to play a set for him while he chats to and prepares a meal for them.
Between the years 2012 and 2019, before the pandemic started, Kyle toured with and opened for artists such as Cosmic Gate, Black Coffee, Juliet Sikora, Josh Butler, EDX, Nora en Pure, Boogie Vice and whole lot more.
2019 was a big year for Kyle as he was selected to play at Tomorrowland on the Budweiser stage and upon his return to South Africa, he performed at the prestigious MIXMAG lab showcase alongside Floyd Lavine and Aero Manyelo.
Apart from his solo success, in 2015 Kyle started a duo with his younger brother Austin Cassim called CINIMIN. 7 years later they are signed to SONY RECORDS and have performed at most mega festivals in South Africa and Mozambique as well as having 4 top 40 hits on radio during this period.
While many artists decided to find other jobs or move their attention elsewhere during and after the pandemic, Kyle saw it as an opportunity to grow and move forward, thus creating two new event properties “REUNION” and “JOZI SUNDAYS”. Jozi Sundays has now been running for a year and a half and is stronger than ever, being home to some of South Africa’s highest ranked Deep House and Afro House DJs such as Jullian Gomes, Kid Fonque, Kasango, Enoo Napa, Kususa, Lemon & Herb, Karyendasoul and more.
2022 was a time for new beginnings and growth and what better way to grow than to start your own record label. Kyle teamed up with his brother, Austin, to start a label called “Recipe Records” which would be the face of CINIMIN music. Their first release “Duro” is already top ten on the National Top 40 radio charts. If one label wasn’t enough, Kyle decided that he wanted a second one, independently, where he dedicated his focus to releasing Melodic and Afro Tech House. Thus “TOFY Records” was born – TOFY being an acronym for “This One’s For You”.
Apart from his success on radio, behind the DJ booth, behind the camera and on stage, Kyle is still very much a family man. Family is very important to Kyle – anyone will know this through his social media and general outlook on life. “My family is the reason I am where I am today, we are a unit, a team and are inseparable. My mom and dad have raised me with the values that have helped me become the man I am today and to deal with the pressures of life and this industry. They also blessed me with two amazing siblings that I do everything with.
Many DJ’s have come and gone in the last 10 years, but Kyle builds his foundation stronger and stronger every year. His passion is what keeps him growing and constantly innovating himself to achieve new heights and goals in the music and entertainment industry. “Success should be defined by reaching your goals, not the money, cars, clothes and everything else that comes with it. Those are just side perks. If I have a roof over my head, good friends, family, food and I’m able to perform and show the people my love for music, then I am happy”
