The Kimberly-born Sipho the Gift shares a body of work for the rap purists on Lotuk (Legend of the Underground King). Blending gritty lyrics with soulful samples, ominous basslines and 808s, Sipho tells a story of tenacity and dedication to his chosen path. “Street Grammys fill the cabinet/I rap because they need a poet,” he raps on “Dark Matter” alongside street rap frontrunner Maglera Doe Boy. Fellow street kings ASAP Shembe, YoungstaCPT, Thato Saul and aifheli—all key players in South African indie rap—make cameos in Sipho the Gift’s eventful coronation. “I wanted to make a project that's unapologetically underground and dedicated to championing independent-thinking artists,” he tells Apple Music. “This project is an ode to resilience and staying dedicated to my artist journey.”