The Pretoria hip-hop scene is a vast cache of talent that is forever ebullient with fresh, up-and-coming acts and established spearheads who continue consolidating their foothold and dominance on the culture countrywide. South African rapper Lehlohonolo Molefe, popularly known as 25K, became one of Pitori’s most prominent prongs with his debut album Pheli Makhaveli (2021), ascending the ranks and becoming a trustworthy ambassador of the region alongside the likes of A-Reece and Thato Saul, among others. The “Hustler’s Prayer” hitmaker has returned with his sophomore offering Loyal to the Plug: The Life & Times of Don Kilograms, which, no different from his maiden album, is curated by esteemed hip-hop record producer Zoocci Coke Dope.
For their second go-round, Kilo and the Dealer exploit their symbiotic relationship already prophetically ingrained in their drug-inspired nicknames, a common denominator and a makeshift controlling metaphor which dictate the stories told by 25K of street life and hustling. The cinematic approach is duly taken to another level by the wildcard assistance of acclaimed actor Warren Masemola, whose baritone-amplified narration and cutting quotables hover over the album, creating an ominous atmosphere for this album of traditional hip-hop joints which hardly deviate from what was heard in the first album.
25K and Warren Masemola (from left to right) | SUPPLIED
During the album’s 57-minute spin, Loyal to the Plug struts its stuff a textbook hip-hop album with simplistic production that incorporates the spartan combo of snare-and-kick characteristic of boom-bap to the pompous yet interspersed rumbling of trap. Whether Zoocci opts for eerie, horror-esque piano loops and harmonies as heard on “Platinum” or whimsical and angelic production as gleaned from “Real Is Rare”, the sound selection, as exemplified by the two extremes of the songs mentioned, is geared towards cultivating a musical matrix. Loyal to the Plug feels as though one is walking through the hallways of Don Kilo’s mind lined with vignettes portrayed in the project.
As the title already suggests, the album discusses the hustler life (“I Was Broke” and “Deep Waters”), love (“Something Special” and “24 Bonnie & Clyde”), and the duality of loyalty and treachery (“Fake Love”, “Platinum”, and “Rare is Real”). Framed within the tautly written borders of 25K’s staccato flows, effortless code-switching, and eyebrow-quirking one-liners, the themes animate Kilo’s recollections of past lovers and friendships, struggles in life, and lessons learned the hard way. Crude as the rapper might sound at times on this record, there’s raw honesty in his lyricism which could, by all means, merit the album being called a conscious biopic.
25K | SUPPLIED
The fifteen-song foray is embellished with a mixed bag of features, ranging from all-star heavyweights including the late AKA, Sjava, A-Reece, Nasty C, and Maglera Doe Boy, as well as acts who are still bidding for a place among the upper echelons such as Loatinover Pounds, Frank Casino, Ney, Marcus Harvey, Mikhale Jones, Berry Jive, and Earle Fari.
The album is a carnival of stellar guest performances. While 25K is never completely washed in his project at any given point, his light does grow dim next to the facile rapping and commanding presence of Earle Fari on “I Was Broke”, the emotive chorus by Nasty C on “Rare is Real” and Sjava’s sobering and existentially resonant contribution on the hook of “Phelibasas”. Either way, the imported flavours augment the overall strength and depth of the album, adding richer texture to the painterly body of work.
With masterly production at the hands of Coke Dope and worldly wisdom wrapped in the words, it is safe to say that Loyal to the Plug is not a victim of the accursed sophomore slump. The three-fold creative convergence of 25K, Zoocci, and Masemola ensures that the album has multiple layers to savour with each listen so that the life and times of Don Kilo can be visualised from different perspectives.
Listen to Loyal to the Plug: The Life & Times of Don Kilograms:
