AKA’s sophomore album Levels was the “victory lap” he predicted in his 2011 breakout single. After sweeping awards for his critically acclaimed debut album Altar Ego and becoming a first-generation social media-era hip-hop superstar, his trajectory was approaching its apex at a rapid velocity in South Africa. With 2014’s Levels, the rapper born Kiernan Forbes was gunning for Pan-African pop superstardom. He roped in Ghanian rapper Sarkodie for the floral “Sunshine”, which also features SA house trio Mi Casa’s J’Somethng. Nigeria’s Burna Boy planted a dancehall hook on what became an African hip-hop juggernaut, “All Eyes On Me”—and one of AKA’s many Naija collaborations. While every mainstream South African rapper flirted with kwaito in the mid-2010s, AKA set himself apart by incorporating samples from disco and house songs from his youth. From Afropop icon Brenda Fassie’s 1991 hit “Ngiyakusaba”, he extracted Jomanda’s “Got A Love For You”, a sample which he synchronised with producer Tweezy’s take on DJ Mustard’s ratchet sound. Tweezy also brought the trap flavour for the megahit “Run Jozi”, and K.O’s lethal bars stood out as one of the best verses of 2014. Tweezy also produced the extravagant trap slapper “Sim Dope”, where AKA immortalised his childhood friend Simphiwe Gumede (aka Sim Dope). Ameen Harron handled the introspective and laidback B-sides “Daddy Issues” and “Let Me Show You” while Master A Flat, who doubled as a music director, embellished several beats on the album with keys and synth lines. Levels established AKA as a landmark pop star of the 2010s—itself a level very South African few rappers have reached. As Spogie T said in the album’s intro, “Chase waterfalls and stream songs/Connect Brenda, Steve Jobs, the King Forbes.”