While his 2021 debut Pheli Makaveli—widely considered an SA hip-hop classic—was an action-packed gangsta flick, Pretoria hip-hop frontman 25K’s sophomore outing is more reflective and laid-back. A now-legit street hustler looks back at his eventful life in the game with a mature eye. On 2024’s Loyal to the Plug : The Life & Times of Don Kilograms, 25K breaks bread with his brothers Marcus Harvey, Maglera Doe Boy, A-Reece, and Focalistic, over laid-back production on songs like “Deep Waters” and “Fake Love.” He reflects on his come-up alongside emerging Pretoria voices Earle Fari and Berry Jive on “I Was Broke.” Yet these aren’t the only full-circle moments on the album: the late hip-hop megastar AKA, who was a big 25K fan and appeared on the remix for his breakout hit “Culture Vulture,” makes an appearance here on “The Resolve.” “Shoutout to 25K, I used to charge 25k,” he raps. Loyal to the Plug : The Life & Times of Don Kilograms paints the multilayered existence of 25K. It shows the “hood godfather” in different settings and moods: he’s scornful and provocative on the Frank Casino-assisted “Platinum,” cautious on “Real Is Rare,” in love on “24’ Bonnie & Clyde” and spits subtle social commentary on songs like “Project Baby II (Interlude)” and “Pretty Paper.” The story of Don Kilo is complemented by beloved South African actor Warren Masemola, a Pretoria native himself, who tells his story in the context of a changing South Africa in his narration of the album. His pride for his hometown is unflinching: “South Africa is in Pretoria because PTA is a country,” he proclaims.