Ten Years On, South African Hip-Hop Artist Kwesta Reflects on ‘DaKAR II’
Ten years after its release, South African hip-hop artist Kwesta’s DaKAR II is still making waves. With 51.8 million streams on Spotify, the album continues to resonate with fans in the artist’s hometown of Katlehong, a township east of Johannesburg, and beyond.
Together with Sony, we hosted a listening party in Johannesburg for Kwesta’s top Premium fans to celebrate DaKAR II’s anniversary, including a live set from the rapper and his band.
For the Record also caught up with Kwesta to reflect on making the album, the creative risks that paid off, and what the project means to him today.
When you listen to DaKAR II today, what feels different?
I think what hits me differently now is how lucky I was, and how lucky we were. DaKAR II was a big album with a lot of contributors. You had people coming together from the music, studio, and business side who still wanted to protect the story I wanted to tell. Looking back, it feels like a blessing that everyone was in the same time and space, making it together.
Which song best captures who you were during the DaKAR II era?
The first on the second disc, “Lights.” It’s about the conditions of the hood and wanting better, but also romanticizing where you are. At the time, I felt like, “I know I’m in the hood, nobody likes it here, but we love each other. We love the community that’s been built here, but we’ve got to do better and take it elsewhere.” That was the thinking behind everything.
What was the biggest creative risk you took on the album?
The whole project was a creative risk. Even making it a double album was a risk, and I have to give props to Nota for that, who collaborated with me on the album. When I thought we had enough, he was like, “No, I will give you a little more.”
With that, you got different versions of me: the hardcore rapper, the hood me, the singer, my soft and vulnerable side. Everything was fully exposed on one album, and that is risky because people like to box you in.
I was a bit of everything but still maintained the DaKAR identity. I’m a Katlehong guy, regardless.
A decade on, what do you hope DaKAR II represents for South African hip-hop and for the fans who grew up with it?
I hope people feel that everything was authentic and real. And I hope it tells them: Do not just play where you are allowed to play. Play where your heart tells you. Be who you are, stay who you are, and you will get where you are trying to go. Being where you are from is okay. It is dope.
And honestly, my biggest source of pride is not how the world took it, but how Katlehong took it. That reaction is my most prized possession.
I also appreciate everyone who contributed to the album, the artists and the producers. When I look back, this will stand out as my proudest and most impactful work. Ngiyabonga [Thank you].
DaKAR II: By the numbers
The majority of the album’s listeners over the last 90 days live in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town, but the love extends across the continent. Harare (Zimbabwe), Lusaka (Zambia), Gaborone (Botswana), Nairobi (Kenya), and Lagos (Nigeria) also rank among its top streaming locations.
On a track level, hit songs “Ngiyaz’fela Ngawe” (feat. Thabsie) and “Ngud’” (feat. Cassper Nyovest) dominate in both streams and playlist adds.
And it’s not just day-one fans who are pressing play. A new generation is connecting to Kwesta’s music, with Gen Z (ages 18–24) making up nearly 40% of listeners.
Celebrate the milestone by streaming DaKAR II on Spotify.
