South African afro-house duo Black Motion deliver a vibrant remix of Lisa Ramey Better Than That

GLM TEAM January 12, 2026

“Black Motion’s music… [creates] a unique sound that captivated viewers during their Tiny Desk performance. This concert not only showcased their musical talents but also honored their heritage, making it a standout moment in the Tiny Desk (home) concert series.”
NPR Music
“Their fresh take on drum-driven house music is a collision of timeless, hypnotic rhythms and the dynamism and electricity of South Africa’s burgeoning house movement.”

Okay Africa
“What Thabo “Smol” Mabogwane and Kabelo “Problem Child Ten83” Koma do is take the drum and thump it, hard. Then they lace it with the sound of the township, gospel, the taxi rank, the Sunday shebeen and the late-night club.”

TimesLIVE

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 by Thabo “Smol” Mabogwane and Bongani “Murdah Bongz” Mohosana, now consisting of founder Thabo Mabogwane and Kabelo “Problem Child Ten83” Koma. Renowned for their powerful percussion and rich African rhythms, they have released music on prominent record label, Defected Records and earned multiple South African Music Awards, including Best Duo/Group of the Year, certified Gold on their LP Fortune Teller, platinum and winner for Best Dance Album for Ya Badimo, while 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.

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Lisa Ramey first caught national attention as a finalist on NBC’s hit music competition show, The Voice, where she performed on Team Legend, stepping further into the spotlight earlier this year as one of two vocalists on tour in the USA with Zayn Malik’s all-female seven-woman band, which was featured on Daily Mail, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, TheNews, NewsBreak, and others. 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. Being included alongside artists like John Legend, Camilla Cabello and Common as part of the Global Citizen “Together at Home” concert series were some highlights of her prestigious career.
‘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.

‘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, sure to ensnare fans of Shimza, Black Coffee, and Culoe De Song, alchemises it into a dancefloor-ready groove while retaining the original’s soulful potency, with a percussive-focused instrumental carrying Lisa’s powerful vocals – spliced, delayed, and soaked in reverb; kinetic and hypnotic.

Black Motion shared: “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.”

Follow Lisa Ramey:
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Instagram – Facebook – X – Soundcloud – Youtube – Spotify