South African Afro-House Duo Black Motion ‘Better Than That’

03/02/2026

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Afro House aficionados Black Motion released a potent Afro-House remix of New York-based R&B singer Lisa Ramey’s hit ‘Better Than That’, on December 5th, 2025 via Lisa Ramey Music. Black Motion is a South African producer duo formed in 2010. The original members were Thabo “Smol” Mabogwane and Bongani “Murdah Bongz” Mohosana. They are now joined by Kabelo “Problem Child Ten83” Koma.

Renowned for their powerful percussion and rich African rhythms, they have released music on the prominent record label, Defected Records. They earned multiple South African Music Awards, including Best Duo/Group of the Year.

They were certified Gold on their LP Fortune Teller, and achieved platinum and won for Best Dance Album for Ya Badimo. Their 2024 album The Cradle of Art received four SAMA31 nominations. Additionally, they landed a performance on a NPR TIny Desk (Home) concert, cementing their status as one of South Africa’s most celebrated and influential dance music acts.

Hitting off with The Voice

Lisa Ramey first caught national attention as a finalist on NBC’s hit music competition show, The Voice, where she performed on Team Legend. She stepped further into the spotlight earlier this year. She was one of two vocalists on tour in the USA with Zayn Malik’s all-female seven-woman band.

After headlining alongside Ms. Lauryn Hill, she took her soulful rock artistry to the limit with her debut album Surrender (2020), which made it to #34 on Good Morning America’s Top 50 Albums of 2020. Ramey was included alongside artists like John Legend, Camilla Cabello and Common as part of the Global Citizen “Together at Home” concert series.

‘Better Than That’

‘Better Than That’ is taken off Lisa’s 2024 EP Foretaste, which has gained over 665,000 streams on Spotify alone. This release was produced by Joe Capo Kent, a three-time GRAMMY-nominated producer, with mixing by Sam Maul of Shock City Studios and mastering by Glenn Schick, all contributing their extensive experience to the project.

“When the challenge came to remix Lisa Ramey’s ‘Better Than That’, we were all in. We wanted to bring our own touch and feel to the song, giving her audience a taste of the South African vibe. With Spice Drums adding his signature feel, we hope people feel the same energy and joy we felt while creating it.”
Black Motion

‘Better Than That’ is a stick of soul-pop dynamite, blending cinematic production, lush instrumentation, and intricate percussion beneath Lisa Ramey’s soaring vocals as she passionately laments a relationship’s downfall.

Black Motion’s treatment of the track is sure to ensnare fans of Shimza, Black Coffee, and Culoe De Song. It alchemises the track into a dancefloor-ready groove while retaining the original’s soulful potency. A percussive-focused instrumental carries Lisa’s powerful vocals, which are spliced, delayed, and soaked in reverb. The result is kinetic and hypnotic.