Kwesta was deep in his bag when making this mid-2010s South African hip-hop classic, DaKAR II. The double album contains the kasi rap soldier’s finest moments; led by a fierce slew of hit singles, DaKAR II portrays the duality of Black life in South Africa. “Outside of elokishini [in the townships], you’ll never find people who are both poor and happy,” Kwesta tells Apple Music. “That only happens elokshini. And really that's what I wanted to represent with the album.” The Katlehong-born emcee’s kasi slang acts as a vehicle for stories of partying (“Nomayini”; “Kokotela”; “Tjovitjo”), hooking up (“Act Like”), loyalty and friendship (“Day One”) and success (“Mmino”) over an assortment of beats tied together by dark, smoky hollow pads and piercing synths—the work of a formidable team of producers includes the likes of Makwa 6eats, Gobi Beast, DJ Maphorisa, Ganja Beatz, Tweezy and Ameen. Part two is driven by more experimental, upbeat tracks such as the hip-hop-EDM hybrid “Mind Fcuk”; the explosive danceable trap banger “Afro Trap” (which bears an electric feature with Busiswa); and the heartwarming love song “Ngiyaz’fela Ngawe”. Balancing out the prevailing theme of hedonism on DaKAR II is the deep cut “Preacher”, which portrays the self-destructive practices perpetuated by young people in the 'hood. He also muses on Black life being undervalued as a legacy of racism and colonisation. “‘Preacher’ is a challenge to the people in power,” Kwesta explains. “It’s a plea to them to say, these are the realities people are facing.” Yet it’s blockbuster beer anthem “Ngud’’ that’s arguably the biggest album highlight. Born from a sonic concept first explored on “Thul’ Ujaive’ (from his 2014 album DaKAR), which was one of his first attempts at merging hip-hop with kwaito, ‘Ngud’’ ushered in a two-year era that revealed what South African rappers could achieve by incorporating local sounds into global musical styles. The track features fellow genre-merger, Cassper Nyovest, whose monumental verse comes to full power during live shows. “When I perform ‘Ngud’’ alone, when Cassper’s verse comes, the crowd performs it for him,” Kwesta concludes.