We had the opportunity to meet up with 25K to discuss who the greatest of all time in South African hip-hop is. We spent the entire day shooting videos and catching up with his team. Later, after the video shoot, we had an important conversation. As seen on social media, a hip-hop commentator made a statement about 25K not dropping a great verse in a while. This conversation will address that, as well as his future plans, his relationship with Maglera, and the entire Pretoria rap scene.
25K: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s your boy 25K the plug also known as Pheli Makaveli and I’m out here with Hype magazine.
You pioneered the whole Spitori rap/Sound. You are a true definition of a game changer. Do you feel like the streets appreciate you enough especially back at home?
Yeah, for sure. I feel like it’s a good space for Pretoria to be in. I feel like my contribution counts a lot. I’m not the only one who put it out there, but I feel like I’m the first to put Pretoria rap on a mainstream platform in terms of the youngins, no disrespect to likes of JR and Blaklez who paved the way for us. But in terms of the new wave of hip hop rappers, I feel like I was on the forefront of that when I came out with “Culture Vulture”, and I feel like the love came first from Pretoria and then Joburg followed up and then it became a national thing. So, I’m really humbled and honoured to be one of the people that the kids from 012 look up to. If you look at the success of Loatinover Pounds dropping a song like “Sosh Plata” which was a song that he wanted me to do a verse on, but I really wanted to do a different song with him not knowing that he had a vision for the song. So, he was like, “Yo, please let’s try this one and then if it doesn’t work, we’ll do another song” and then that ended up being the song that changed his life. So, it’s an honour to contribute to the culture in a major way, just also contributing to SA hip hop.
Do you feel that you are the goat of rap right now?
I feel like I’m one of the goats. There’s plenty of goats out here, different roots in South Africa, representing different areas, but we all represent the same thing at the end of the day, but I feel like where I’m from, I’m definitely a GOAT.
Loyal to the plug. What is it about and why the title?
So, I feel like with my debut album being Pheli Makaveli, I was really telling the story of me coming up in Pheli and what Pheli is about. If know about the infamous Mashobane and Lucas ‘masterpieces’ Moripe and all of the icons and legends who came from Pretoria… I feel like I captured it very well in my debut album. But with this album, I really wanted to showcase how I’m not one dimensional in terms of trying to make a rap. I’m trying to be the hardest rapper, I feel like with this project reflects that. The whole 25K the plug and “Loyal to the plug” really means a lot to me because I actually came up by being loyal to my plug that I had at the time when I was still 12yrs, hence why “Loyal to the plug”. It’s like a subtitle to the life and times of Don kilogram. I feel like the music will elaborate further in terms of why I chose that title.
When can we as fans expect that sophomore album?
The sophomore album is done hence why I’m sitting here doing this interview. it’s only a matter of time now. Shout out to MagleraDoeboy. Being a part of this beautiful body of work means a lot to me. Having one of my closest friends like outside music, being here to share this moment with me. So, it’s only a matter of time, apologies to the fans for keeping you waiting so long but now it’s time.
How did you meet up with Maglera and how would you describe the friendship?
I met through DJ Sliqe crazy enough. We did a song on Injayam Vol 2. I had recorded the verse separate with Sliqe and then Maglera had recorded on a separate day with Sliqe as well then, then we met at the launch of Injayam. We just had a conversation of like “Yo, we should make more songs together” and before COVID came, when we got together, and we were doing the first Champion Music. I think that’s where like the brotherhood started from. We were getting to understand each other… like he’s from Klerksdorp and I’m from Pheli. I asked him what it is like growing up in Klerksdorp and explained to him what it is like growing up in Pheli being a trap kid. This was in 2020 /2019 if I’m not mistaken and we’ve been close like that ever since.
Given an opportunity to work on a joint album with Maglera what would you name the album?
I think Maglera has a better chance of coming up with a name for that because Champion Music was more for me, him and Sliqe, but if you really actually looking for something like that, I trust him with the creative direction.
Shout out to HYPE
Shout out to HYPE Magazine for having me out here. Pheli Makaveli, now “Loyal to the Plug”.
