Cop @MrCashtime #SR2 Today!

K.O finally drops his much anticipated sophomore album SR2 (Skhanda Republic 2) which coincides with his womb escape day (birthday). The 12 track album is validation of K.O's intention to keep his spot in the top 5 steady. There are feelings of gratitude, intense reflection and most importantly triumph all throughout the piece.

He opens the album with the personal diary-esque entry titled Above The Water with Shekhinah's infectious voice suited for the reflections K.O is sharing about his family. This is a love letter to his parents to whom he is much grateful for. He also raps to his siblings, reminiscing on their time growing up as well as their bonds (some needing a bit of mending). Just as you feel his vulnerability he wakes you up with the potent Ms2 (Mission Statement 2?) which gives you the imagination that he comes into a show and just grabs the mic stand to steal the show. The beat is banging with a high level of confidence and his raps are hard hitting as he questions how easy it has become to be "dope" in the music scene today. We love how he challenges the status quo and almost reminds us that he's been around the block and now he's back to show us how it's really done. One thing to note about K.O, and this album, is his ability to fuse music references with authentically South African elements. You hear it in the Ms2 hook, Swagganova, 7even Up, and SA Rising. 

There's no denying that when he dropped Call Me, he got a lot of ears wondering if he was drifting away into a new sound but you can immediately feel the cohesion with the song on the full album. Also, you have to connect the fact that this song is so cross over that you imagine a newly wed couple doing their "step" to this song come the festive season - mark our words! We dip into K.O's nkalakatha status on Swagganova which is screaming with menacing danger in the blurring synths on the track. He's very playful while sounding like a street bully who asks questions that have only his answer as the right one. We're digging his Afrikaans flow on here as well. He brings us into street life with the familiar sound of taxi drivers having silly banter in the background. This falls into an interlude he aptly titled Keep Left, Pass Right which plays on common directions taxi commuters give when they need to get off, but also the driving rule of the country. Spring boarding off those road rules as a canvas he goes on to croon playfully about how you (haters) need to move out of his lane as you're slowing him down. Everything about this skit is so well thought out actually, the nuances of road rules, staying in your lane, and how unwinding the journey of life is all comes together so well.

K.O set out to remind us that he's a rapper's rapper too which is what he became known for when his name started becoming prominent in the game. After a hiatus to meditate on his sound, it would appear the lethal rapper in him had the loudest voice. You hear his cadence on Legacy, another track looming with danger in the haunted beat that houses his punches in a music boxing ring. He brilliantly calms the storm with his sing-along hook that breaks the tension of his fierce rhymes. Ay ngeke! You can't dissect this man right now. SHU! Keeping with the tight rap flows, ulova takes us on a journey to his hood where he recites a story about reuniting with his formerly incarcerated friend after all these years between them. A beautiful reminder of how life happens, also that he too is a human being that knows and remembers other humans that are going through some challenges. Most importantly, his vivid picture of life in the hood as he narrates all the things that goes on in his day will go down well with many a South African ekasi. One of my favourites on the album, 7even Up, is a celebratory song about victory, or more like the triumphant and fighting spirit of a black man. By telling the story of his own progress, he also channels the power and inherent will of a black man to succeed. This is a ghetto boy anthem, a reminder that you must never give up no matter what. Put those 7's up, uvuke ngo7 ubangene ndoda! A message of courage that our men cannot hear enough. 

The Skhanda god has the ability to carry you and bring you to different places through song and this is evident in the details he put all over the album. From slight samples, to pockets at the end of a song that transport you to the next one, his sound design is impeccable. Another favourite on the album, The Warning, slows down the pace as K.O gets a few truths off his chest. On this track he's not holding back on his regrets, annoyances and frustrations about his name being dragged in the mud by the media (and the industry to an extend). He clears a few things and issues warning to people who think they can trample on him 'cause they assume his time is coming to an end or that they can count him out of the game. Little do they know that he's stronger than all the bullsh! An important song I think, powerful. 

As we come to the close of the album, we don't forget to pay homage to the story of our people, our fight to carry on and the need to find ourselves again. He addresses the social, political and economic issues of the country to the presidency while singing as another voice that's part of a suffering people. You can tell that K.O loves his country and wishes, like many of us, that we could all let go of the hatred we feel and find a better space to be in mentally for the sake of a better future. THIS, THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SONG ON THE ALBUM. Whoever thought that one can carry a whole nation's story, spirit and plight in 04:00 minutes? K.O does exactly that! He further closes out the album with No Feelings as another reminder of his oblivion followed by a familiar track which is Pretty Young Thing. The bonus track on the album is another example of his ability to cross over and appeal to more than just the hip hop head. SR2 is a brilliant display of artistry, craft and attention to detail. ALL HAIL K.O!

Get it on iTunes right now!