Big Zulu’s musical ambidexterity has put him in a unique position where he’s both a South African hip-hop A-lister and an Afro-soul superstar. The artist deploys melodies for heartfelt expression and turns to raps for storytelling: in the album-opening title track, where he convincingly croons about the downside of success, he paints a vivid rags-to-riches narrative with his accessible rhymes. It’s that duality that carries the Bergville-born rapper and mogul’s fifth studio album. He is as earnest in love songs (“Mthulise,” “Mina Ngedwa,” “Mbali Yami”) as he is in telling his life story (“Isisu Som’Hambi,” “Ng’Sale Nobani,” “Impilo Ekhaya”) and dealing with rap politics on songs like “Abazazi Bafunani” and “Interlude.” A diverse guest list of rappers and Afropop, Afro-soul, amapiano, and maskandi singers like Nkosazana Daughter, Aymos, Shwi Mntombazane, and Siya Ntuli add color to this adult contemporary rap album. It’s built on slick, laidback instrumentation—except on a few songs, like the boom-bap-leaning “Interlude,” where Sjava drops a cypher-ready verse, and “iNkululeko,” where Big Zulu and amapiano lyricists Toss and Sir Trill ride a muscular hip-hop beat. In album closer “10 Past 4,” he goes back and forth with Durban rap legend Zakwe, while Xowla smoothes out the track with a melodic rap hook. So…is it rap? Is it Afropop? Afro-soul? Or perhaps it’s maskandi? “Ushun wenkabi” produces all those genres at the same time and more.