Written by Boitumelo Molamu
Ahead of the release of Mass Country, we rank AKA’s other albums and EPs
With AKA’s final album Mass Country dropping this Friday and with his tragic passing, we look back at Mega’s catalogue and rank his official albums and EPs.
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You’re Welcome (2021) (By AKA and Costa Titch)
You’re Welcome was and remains one tape in his catalog that is slightly challenging to listen to. The collaboration between Costa Titch and AKA sounded amazing on paper; individually, both artists have a sound that is unique to South Africa, so their collaboration was poised to be magical. But, unfortunately, that was not the case. You’re Welcome sounded a bit out of AKA’s comfort zone compared to his other releases; it felt as if AKA had a few obstacles when blending into Costa’s new age sound but he shined through on ‘Super Soft’ and ‘Big Deal’. Even a member of AKA’s production team revealed he told Mega himself You’re Welcome wasn’t the one.
Commenting on You’re Welcome in our latest cover story, AKA said:
“So, another album where I just wanted to explore a sound and just explore new vibes and new energy, young people, and he took me all over to places I’d normally never go to, like Braam and all these places. Took me to go see the new wave, the kids, and introduced me to all these guys, which was cool for me to get out of my shell. And we just did a little tape that was towards the end of the pandemic and I look back to that with fond memories, it was a lot of fun, I had a lot of fun.”
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Bhovamania (2020)
Released in 2020, Bhovamania can be considered the black sheep of AKA’s catalogue. The project left a lot of the Megacy disappointed. Unlike the classic projects that he released previously, Bhovamania feels sonically imbalanced. The songs collectively feel like they are album cutaways and test demos. The idea behind Bhovamania is commendable, though – the experimentation of trying to find and define the South African modern-day hip-hop sound is partly why we adore AKA. ‘Fela in Versace’, from 2018’s Touch My Blood gave us a taste of what that could sound like; however, Bhovamania could not live up to the expectations. Despite Bhovamania being slightly lacklustre, it did give us bangers such as ‘Energy’, ‘Casino’ and ‘Monuments’.
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Be Careful What You Wish For (2017)
The release of ‘The Saga’ in 2016 gave us a taste of an AKA and Anatii collaboration but, through unfortunate squabbles and the release of ‘Composure’, it would take a full year for us to hear another collaborative effort from the Super Mega and the Sexy Chubby N*gga. In early 2017, fans were teased with the idea of a joint album from AKA and Anatii with the release of the lead single ‘10 Fingers’. Months later, Be Careful What You Wish For (BCWYWF) would be released, and have fans of both artists excited. Most of us weren’t surprised by the chemistry between AKA and Anatii, but none of us could comprehend how impactful it would be and the number of hits it would produce. Arguably one of the best joint projects in SA hip-hop, BCWYWF gave us hits such as ‘Don’t Forget to Pray’, ‘Angles’ and ‘Holy Mountains’. It would not hurt to get part two…
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Altar Ego (2011)
2011 was the year we were introduced to AKA as a solo artist. Prior to this, AKA was part of the high school group Entity. With undeniable classics such as ‘Victory Lap’, ‘I Want It All’ featuring Khuli Chana and the late PRO, and ‘All I Know’, Altar Ego did what it was expected to do, and beyond. It became the first rap album with English lead lyrics to win Best Street Urban at the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) and earned AKA the Best Male Artist trophy. On ‘All I Know’, he rapped: “AKA, he’s a beast, he’s a problem though/ The one you motherf*ckers should solve but don’t…” – lyrics that, to this day, he continues to live up to.
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Touch My Blood (2018)
A year after the release of his joint project with Anatii, Touch My Blood (TMB) was AKA’s first solo project since 2014’s Levels. With more control over his music, management and business, TMB was released under Beam Group, a label and management company that was co-owned by AKA himself. The rollout of TMB, which included some billboards around Jozi, was a spectacle. It made the album a monument – from collaborations with mobile networks creating apps to having live shows with a full-on orchestra, the TMB era was career-bending.
Although Beam Group would be short-lived, TMB would become a classic. The hit single ‘Fela in Versace’ featuring Nigeria’s Kiddominant took AKA’s career to new heights. With TMB, AKA continued with – and perhaps even refined – the formula he had found success with during the Levels run. The idea of having a unique sound that best reflects SA has been something AKA has been on a mission for, and he may have achieved it through TMB, from beat selections with samples from recognisable South African classics to catchy lyrics.
From features with Yanga Chef and JR, which always guarantee a hit, to an unexpected collaboration with Stogie T, what TMB achieved could be considered improbable, bearing in mind how diverse South Africa really is.
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Levels (2014)
The era between 2014 and 2016 was a good one for SA hip-hop – artists such as AKA himself and K.O. forever solidified themselves as key players within the genre. An absolute classic, Levels is one of a few albums that have impacted the landscape and idea of what a South African hip-hop album could and should sound like. Songs like ‘Run Jozi’, ‘Sim Dope’, ‘All Eyes on Me’ and ‘Congratulate’ are now multi-award-winning, multi-platinum-selling and culture-defining records, so much so the album is arguably among the top five greatest hip-hop projects to ever come out of SA. In a 2022 interview, rapper A-Reece solidified the legendary status of the album, saying: “Levels is in my top five; that album changed my life.” In fact, it changed a lot of people’s lives; we saw artists such as Yanga Chief and Burna Boy go from being a niche in the come-up artists to being superstars. Levels is near-perfect – from the lyrical content to the beats that contain samples that evoke nostalgia.