“Your favorite new-age rapper prolly follows to study my lingo,” 25K boasted on Pheli Makaveli, his 2021 debut that introduced him as Pretoria’s raw and unfiltered narrator. On Pheli Makaveli, 25K declared himself Pretoria’s hometown griot, unflinchingly chronicling a life shaped by the streets of Atteridgeville. Curated by South African hip-hop sonic architect Zoocci Coke Dope, the album elevated 25K to a symbol of Pretoria’s hip-hop scene, sharpening his reputation as one of the key voices of Ispitori, the regional dialect he helped popularize. The debut came with its own lexicon: literally; a dictionary that translated his lyrics, drawing listeners into a world both foreign and familiar.
Three years later, 25K (aka Kilo or “Pheli’s own Makaveli”) returns with Loyal to the Plug: The Life and Times of Don Kilograms, an album that continues his journey without giving in to the dreaded sophomore slump. Staying true to his moniker, “The Plug,” a nod to his past life dealing drugs, Kilo reveals the scope of his evolution: luxury and designer grills may be his new reality, but his roots in Pretoria ground him still. Rather than crafting a slick, high-gloss production, Loyal to the Plug unfolds in gritty layers, guided again by Zoocci Coke Dope’s minimalist hand. This is hip-hop stripped down, where boom-bap’s rigid snare patterns meet trap’s sub-bass thump, resulting in a cohesive yet understated aesthetic.
What sets Loyal to the Plug apart is the addition of actor Warren Masemola, whose narration weaves the project’s 15 tracks together. The Pretoria native’s rich baritone voice injects a sense of cinematic gravitas, creating the sensation of a guided tour through Kilo’s past and present. Masemola’s soliloquies evoke the hardship and pride of Pretoria, balancing political reflection with personal anecdotes that add documentary-like depth.
Loyal to the Plug came after public skepticism over its singles. “2 Headed Goat” pairs Kilo with Maglera Doe Boy in a reflection on life’s turning points, while “Something Special” sidesteps the typical love ballad, its heartfelt tribute punctuated by Marcus Harvey’s earnest vocal textures.The song subverts the usual love ballad, becoming a heartfelt tribute to how love has kept Kilo grounded. As he says, “You the one who told me ‘Kilo, twela codeine’” .“Platinum” featuring Frank Casino, is characterized by an ominous tone with its sparse piano loop, but the track is held back by Kilo’s subdued delivery; it’s Frank Casino’s energy that brings the song to life.These singles, though polarizing, hint at the thematic duality of the project: gritty tales of street loyalty and occasional, surprisingly tender explorations of love and companionship.
The intro begins with a monologue from Warren Masemola that paints a portrait of Pretoria from the inside out. As he recounts memories of apartheid and life after apartheid, he layers history with the socio-linguistic weight of identity, a reminder, as Trevor Noah wrote in Born a Crime, that “Language can define who you are to people even more than color.” Fittingly, Masemola, a Pretoria native himself, guides the listener through his own experience of South African history in Ispitori, grounding the story in a language that builds identity. This is met beautifully by 25K’s introspective stories, reflecting on how his life has changed, cleverly letting us into the life and times of Don Makaveli.
Loyal to the plug is a telescopic lens into 25K’s journey, reflecting his transformation from Pretoria’s streets to South Africa’s stages. In tracks like Phelibasas with Sjava and I Was Broke with rising talents Earle Fari and Berry Jive, 25K honors his roots, reliving tales of survival and ambition. The song pulses with gratitude for Zoocci Coke Dope’s role in his journey, a brotherhood that goes beyond music, as the beats move listeners before they even notice. The theme continues with Project Baby II Interlude, where 25K revisits his rough upbringing in Atteridgeville, a crime-laden township in Pretoria, where he could’ve been in prison if not for music’s saving grace.
The recurring theme of loyalty versus betrayal surfaces repeatedly, notably in “Fake Love” with Focalistic. In Masemola’s monologue, we hear a candid disillusionment with South Africa’s unfulfilled promises post-apartheid: a stark reminder of the socio-political landscape that forms the album’s backdrop. The track “Real is Rare,” featuring Nasty C, reinforces the album’s ethos with its razor-sharp hook that cuts into the narrative of fractured friendships and lost loyalties.Nasty C’s masterful hook is the perfect assist, adding a bittersweet edge to Kilo’s journey through the chaos of loyalty and loss.
While 25K commands respect across the feature-heavy album, some tracks fall short. Deep Waters sees Marcus Harvey, A-Reece, and Maglera Doe Boy exploring layered emotions over a laid-back beat. A-Reece reflects on lost friendships, though his verse feels predictable; Maglera Doe Boy commands attention with a vivid portrayal of border life and ambition, dropping regional slang that reinforces his roots and gives the track an authentic edge. Similarly, The Untouchables finds 25K outshone by Loatinover Pounds, who drops a football analogy referencing Ramos’s infamous tackle on Salah in the 2018 UEFA Final; a clever nod that grounds his verse in relatability.
In its finest moments, Loyal to the Plug reveals a surprising vulnerability. Tracks like “24 Bonnie & Clyde” with Mikhalè Jones offer a raw and unvarnished take on love as gritty and enduring as Kilo’s journey itself. Here, Kilo lets his guard down, crafting an ode as tough as it is tender: a streetwise love song shaped by survival, one where loyalty runs as deep as scars.In an album so rooted in survival, it’s refreshing to hear 25K let his guard down, even if only briefly, revealing a deeper layer of himself birthing a Bonnie and Clyde tale built for the streets.
One of the album’s standout moments comes from “The Resolve”, which features the late AKA in a posthumous appearance. Blending amapiano’s trademark log drum with an unmistakable energy, AKA’s verse brings a sense of warmth and nostalgia, giving the track a celebratory feel that feels worlds away from the album’s more somber tones. This is not the first time these stars meet, as AKA worked with 25K on his Culture Vulture remix in 2019.
The album’s closing is a fitting one: an extended version of “2 Headed Goat,” with Masemola’s narration serving as a final love letter to Pretoria. “South Africa is in Pretoria because Pretoria is its own country,” he asserts as he lists a number of talents that hail from Pretoria (Dj Maphorisa, Dj Bucks, Mordä, 25K and himself.). This solidifies the sense that “Loyal to the Plug” is a statement of pride and resilience. Alongside established artists like AKA, Sjava, A-Reece, and Nasty C, as well as emerging voices like Berry Jive, Loatinover Pounds, and Flow Jones Jnr, 25K succeeds in creating an album that speaks to both past and present, a vivid portrait of Pretoria’s heartbeat.
Loyal to the Plug is a love letter to Pretoria’s distinct sound and soul. With each play , the album , grows rich and invites listeners into 25k”s world capturing the intensity of life on Pretoria’s streets and his unshakable loyalty to the city that made him. This makes Loyal To The Plug, a portrait of a rapper anchored in identity, pride, and survival.It’s a reminder of where Don Kilo has been, who he’s become, and the unbreakable loyalty that guides him through it all.
Listen to Loyal To The Plug- The Life and Times of Don Kilograms here : http://25ktheplug.lnk.to/LTTP
