“I started recording the album in 2016. I had a little bit of money and thought, why not go into the studio and record some tracks? We recorded about five tracks and kept those files for a bit. I listened to them later on and wasn’t really sure, so we re-recorded the tracks in 2017/2018.

For many South Africans, the words “izikhotane” or “material culture” conjure up images of lavishly dressed young men and women dancing and flaunting various luxury items from clothes to alcohol brands and even the quintessential South African desert, Ultra Mel custard. From what many have perceived to be an obscene display of extravagance, a whole new community and subculture, traversing music, dance, and fashion, has emerged.

Beyond the crime, unemployment and lack of resources the hood raises us for community. Many mornings my mother would send me to one of the many houses in our street to ask for anything from R10 for transport to those massive enamel dishes for umsebenzi… I never came back empty handed.