Selema Masekela

Selema Mabena Masekela was born on August 28, 1971, in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of South African jazz musician Hugh Masekela and a Haitian mother. Masekela spent his early years in Staten Island, New York, and later in Carlsbad, California, where he attended Carlsbad High School. His career commenced in 1992 as an intern at Transworld Publications, which housed magazines such as TW Snow, TW Skateboarding, and TW Surf. This early exposure to action sports shaped his professional trajectory.

Masekela gained prominence as a television host and sports commentator. He hosted ESPN’s X Games and Winter X Games for 13 years, a role he maintained until 2012. During the 2003–2004 season, he served as an NBA sideline reporter for ESPN. His work extended to entertainment as a co-host of “The Daily 10” on the E! network until its conclusion in 2010. In 2010, Masekela was a correspondent for ESPN’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where he co-created and appeared in the 10-part series “Umlando – Through my Father’s Eyes” with his father, exploring their South African heritage. In 2012, he transitioned to work with NBC and NBC Sports Network through a contract with Red Bull Media House. He was also a features reporter for NBC’s “Olympic Zone” during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Beyond broadcasting, Masekela is a producer and actor. He co-founded Berkela Motion Pictures with Jason Bergh. In 2015, he joined the Emmy Award-winning investigative series VICE on HBO as a correspondent and executive producer. From April 2016, he served as the host and executive producer of VICELAND’s docu-series, “VICE World of Sports,” which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. His acting credits include appearances in films like “Point Break” (2015) and “Uncle Drew” (2018), and TV series such as “Lady in the Lake” (2024) and “Sneakerheads” (2020). Masekela also fronts the band Alekesam, whose music has been featured in television shows. He is involved in social initiatives, co-founding Stoked Mentoring and serving on the advisory boards of The Lunchbox Fund and The Skatepark Project. In January 2024, X Games appointed him as its Chief of Sports Culture.