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It would be unjust to discuss mass country without paying homage to the legendary talent that was AKA. The well-known rapper was instrumental in shaping SA Hip Hop in Mzansi and across the African continent. He was named South Africa’s best-selling rapper and had hits for days. No other talent, according to his fans, comes close.
Unfortunately, we will not see him again. On February 10, 2023, the famous emcee was assassinated in Durban while leaving Wish Restaurant after a birthday dinner with friends. The news has been difficult for SA Hip Hop fans and Mzansi to accept.
Before his passing, AKA was prepping to release his next album, “Mass Country.” The album was first announced in 2022 when he released the first single, “Lemons (Lemonade),” featuring Nasty C. Fans had long waited to hear them on a song together. More singles were also released, but AKA died before the album dropped. Still, his family went ahead with the release time.
In an interview with Slikour, the Supa Mega said about the title that he was “taking more time with the sound and just trying to come up with something new. I call it Mass Country because I wanted to touch on Mass Country like Maskandi. That’s kind of like the play on it. I’m going to put that all in the pot. And we are going to come up with something magic.” Just as we expected, the album celebrates various music genres.
Cover Art
On January 10, 2023, AKA unveiled the cover art for “Mass Country.” He revealed that the artwork was designed by the famous Karabo Poppy. This proved that he wanted to go big with the album. The artwork racked up over 43 thousand likes on his Instagram page and got excited reactions from fans. It featured an artsy representation of the rapper’s face. It is also very African and modern. It seemed to highlight AKA in all his glory.
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Popular Tracks
One track reigns supreme in this section. Of course, that’s “Lemons (Lemonade)” featuring Nasty C. The infectious jam marked the first official release from the album. It gave fans a taste of what to expect from the project. We were all excited to hear the “Energy” star and the Zulu man in a joint together after such a long wait. It fast became a hit and earned praise from fans. His next release, “Paradise,” was also well-received. Just before the album dropped, “Company” featuring Nigerian music producer KDDO dropped to rave reviews. Several other tracks on the album have gained praise.
Tracklist and Features
“Mass Country” boasts an impressive tracklist and list of features. We have always known AKA to be great at working with other artists. The album houses 14 tracks and features some prominent names in Mzansi and outside. Thato Saul contributes to the “Mbuzi Freestyle,” while Emtee and Manana joined him on “Crown.” Nasty C delivered a killer verse on “Lemons (Lemonade),” and Khuli Chana killed it on “Prada.” Other featured acts include Sjava, 031Choppa, Baby S.O.N, KDDO, Musa Keys, Gyakie, Blxckie, Yanga Chief, Laylizzy, Weathrd, and his girlfriend, Nadia Nakai.
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Outshone by collaborators
For his creative and production crew, AKA cast his net far and wide. A-list South African rappers Khuli Chana, Blxckie, Emtee, Nadia Nakai, Nasty C, Sjava, Yanga Chief, Nigerian top notch producer KDDO and many others joined in the collective effort to create what was intended to be a masterpiece, or at least a landmark album.
There are just a few tracks in which AKA performs largely by himself and when he does, it’s mainly about ego boosting. In Mbuzi (freestyle) he sings his own praises and affirms his spot atop the hip-hop pile. He takes shots at rivals and detractors, reminding them that he’s “cut from a different cloth”. But in this exciting cut, South African rapper Thato Soul blows AKA off his own joint. Thato, in this case, is the undisputed beast and not AKA.
AKA does better in Amapiano, a Latin-influenced track with help from Mozambican hip-hop artist Laylizzy and upcoming rapper Weathrd. Once again, his collaborators lift the joint out of mediocrity. AKA delivers his chorus without autotune, which is rare for him. And yet again, AKA assumes the role of passenger on his own cruise while his collaborators are the pilots.
With such an amazing cast of artists and run of features, it is hard to deliver a dud. But how much of the album’s creative vision is AKA’s? The album often feels like he’s throwing darts at a board, hoping that something will stick. This makes this suite of tracks rather unwieldy.
Mixed bag
Anxiety is another self-absorbed and derivative assemblage of lyrics and hooks spread over somewhat infectious beats. This is obviously the work of his impressive producer, Thabo Nelson Tota.
On Company, the talented KDDO once again delivers the goods and hurls AKA to higher creative levels. Here, he delivers his verses with élan and some degree of conviction. Both artists stress their playboy credentials over KDDO’s smooth, warm beats and production. This is the type of production value and quality that made AKA’s previous hits such as Fela in Versace and Jika so irresistible.
In The Last Time, AKA’s tone and sensibilities are slightly more reflective, “his ego in ashes” and not controlled by a surfeit of testosterone.
In Crown, South African rapper Emtee joins him in asserting his place at the top of the hip hop game and in calling out for concomitant blessings. The heavy R&B tones sound somewhat mature and well executed.
So this is indeed a mixed bag of beats, visions, influences and talent.
Claiming the crown nonetheless
AKA was nonetheless motivated to claim his crown in the game. He wasn’t about to accomplish this alone. And so, adopting his customary approach, he enlisted all the certified hit makers he knew to assist him.
AKA was never the most technically proficient rapper. He also admitted – unusually for him – that he didn’t possess the vocal prowess of South African jazz artist Judith Sephuma. But he discovered an approach that worked exceedingly well for him. His winning plan was simple: cultivate talent wherever he could, draw them into his creative orbit, feed them with the formative mists of his vision, and hope chance blesses their efforts with success.
On this last offering, it seems all his collaborators were willing to go the extra mile in serving and nurturing his complicated – or is it conflicted – vision. It is also a testament to his extraordinary tenacity and leadership qualities. He apparently bent this diverse gallery of talented artists to his will in reaching heights that his own talents could not take him to.
Summary
We hear the album garnered mixed reviews from fans. Of course, that’s expected. Recall that the rapper stated that it messed with several genres, hence the title “Mass Country.” One thing that remained constant was the Supa Mega’s pen game and his ability to drop a good collab. He delivered an album that lives up to the reputation he has earned for himself as a hitmaker. Shout out to the king.Review Of AKA “Mass Country” Album