Veteran DJ Selwyn B Reinvents Himself as a DJ Producer with Debut Single ‘Nice and Slow’

Long before social media existed, a Cape Town DJ went viral. Instead of forwarding videos and audio clips, people shared copies of cassette recording with the funky party rap he created.
In the equivalent of what we now know as a viral challenge, other DJs started emulating his rap word for word, some of them not even knowing who started it.  Now more than 40 years later, the originator, DJ Selwyn B has finally recorded a song with his party rap.

After more than four decades entertaining dance floors, Cape Town’s veteran DJ and broadcaster Selwyn Bartlett, also known as DJ Selwyn B, is stepping into a new chapter of his musical journey. Having spent much of his life behind the decks playing other people’s records, he is now reinventing himself as a DJ producer with the release of his debut single, ‘Nice and Slow’, featuring vocalist Carletheia. The single marks a significant milestone for someone whose relationship with music began in early childhood and has developed into a career spanning generations of music lovers.

A Lifelong Love of Music

Selwyn’s musical journey started when he was just five years old, playing records for family members at weekend gatherings. It was a passion inherited from his grandfather, and one that would eventually shape his entire career. By the age of 13, he was already showing entrepreneurial spirit, starting a mobile disco with school friends Glynn and Howard Bouwers to raise funds for their school.

His professional breakthrough came in 1982 while working in music retail. A customer recognised his enthusiasm for music and offered him an opportunity to play at Negresco in Retreat. That first club engagement marked the beginning of a journey that has now stretched across approximately 45 years, establishing Selwyn as a familiar name in Cape Town’s music and entertainment circles.

Still active as a club and events DJ, and still involved in broadcasting, Selwyn Bartlett is committed to passing on his knowledge and passion for music to the next generation through mentoring at-risk youth in his community. Some of those initiatives include Selwyn Bartlett teaming up experts to present Music Industry Masterclasses on the Cape Flats.
Beyond his experience in entertaining audiences, the Music Industry & Broadcast Media Expert graduated with an ACET [Adult Community Education Training] qualification from UCT in 2019.

The Story Behind ‘Nice and Slow’

The choice of his debut single is particularly meaningful. In 1976, Selwyn bought his first 7-inch record, Jesse Green’s ‘Nice and Slow’. Six years later, he managed to track down the 12-inch extended version, which was only available on the imported double album Bumper 2 Bumper Vol. 2. During Apartheid, international sanctions made imported music extremely difficult to obtain, making the discovery all the more special.

The song therefore represents more than just a musical release. It connects Selwyn’s new venture as a producer to a personal memory that dates back to the early years of his love affair with music. His sound continues to draw on disco-influenced grooves and timeless classics, bringing together the familiarity of the old-school dance floor with a fresh creative direction.

Taking His Sound Beyond the Decks

Another part of Selwyn’s musical legacy is a party rap that originated during his residency at Tiffany’s in Paarl in 1983. What began as a single spontaneous line, inspired by the energy of the dance floor, grew by another line each week until the rap was completed six weeks later. It remains a party favourite, with DJs still using it to get crowds of different generations going.

We had the pleasure of listening to DJ Selwyn B’s version of Nice & Slow.
For those of you who have witnessed him doing his party rap live or have listened to cassette recordings of him rapping over the original Nice and Slow, this new rendition will feel very familiar but still have enough of a new vibe to it, that will get you grooving.

To those for whom DJ Selwyn B’s party rap is a completely new experience, and who may or may not have heard the Jesse Green original, the new track can best be described as retro disco, leaning towards a Latino rhythm, with a few of the early 1980’s style party rap, towards the end.

The song, by far, does not merely exist to give Selwyn’s party rap a space to be heard.
This new version is a genuinely good attempt at breathing new life into an old classic.
With her multi-octave range, Cape Town songstress Carletheia’s rendition of the original Jesse Green vocals offers the listener a new experience, bringing a woman’s touch to Nice and Slow.

Celebrating a New Musical Chapter

The release of ‘Nice and Slow’ will be celebrated on Saturday, 14 November 2026, at Stikland Driving Range. A private media launch takes place earlier in the evening, followed by the public Thriller Throwback Party from 9pm.

The line-up features DJ Selwyn B with Carletheia, alongside DJ Mikey G and DJ Vinny. Tickets cost R80 online through Quicket or R120 at the door. The event is restricted to over-23s.

As Selwyn puts it: “I’ve spent a lifetime playing other people’s music. Now it’s time to put my own name on the record.”

For a DJ whose story began with a five-year-old playing records for his family, ‘Nice and Slow’ is an opportunity to add a new chapter to a musical journey that is far from over.