It is hard to believe that it has been a decade since one of South Africa’s most impactful albums was released. Levels, by the late multi-award winning hip-hop legend AKA, who was also affectionately referred to as ‘Supermega’ by his loyal fan base. To celebrate this testament to the icon’s longevity and influence in the industry, the album has been re-issued on vinyl. This edition also includes a commemorative booklet accompanied by artwork of the artist as well as his merchandise.
Dropping in 2014, at a time when South African hip-hop was arguably at its peak, the album was the first of its kind, experimenting with such diverse sounds adopted from genres outside of hip-hop. With hits such as ‘Run Jozi’ featuring KO and Yanga Chief, ‘Sim Dope’, ‘All Eyes on Me’ where he was accompanied by the African Giant Burna Boy, as well as some of his closest friends JR and Da Les, the album cemented Supermega not only a music legend but an icon of South Africa’s rich culture.
Raphael Benza, who was the late rapper’s business partner took his Instagram to share the exciting news, noting the impact that the original album had in shaping the way music is made today as the album is a masterclass on the art of sampling, which has become a popular trend both locally and globally.
“#ThrowBackThursday to this monumental album LEVELS – it holds a great significance to me (personally and professionally), was pivotal to AKA’s trajectory and to the music scene in Africa. We experience the blended influence of U.S hip hop, SA hip hop and Afrobeat laid on a bed of iconic South African music samples,” Raphael captioned.
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