The torchbearer of contemporary Xhosa rap, Yanga Chief, is not only a proficient rapper, but also a highly gifted musician with a diverse catalog. Directing music videos in the 2000s and 2010s placed him in the right spaces—he is the brains behind the visuals for AKA’s era-defining collaboration with K.O, 2014’s “Run Jozi”. He also wrote and performed the song’s hook, interpolating TKZee’s “Sikelela”. This was the inception of his referential songwriting style, manifested both on songs he’s co-written for other artists and his solo work; a Yanga Chief song is often a compound of genres he grew up listening to, from Afro-pop to kwaito, pop and Eastern Cape folk. These are skilfully meshed into hip-hop and pop, resulting in a repertoire that varies from trap bangers (“Tricky”, “Utatakho”) to wedding soundtracks (“Lovey”) and the headbob-inducing ’90s rap-inspired “Monuments” alongside AKA and Grandmaster Ready D.