Rappers don't do 'humble'

Not one for modesty, rapper AKA believes that his new album, Levels, is "the album of the year".

To be fair though, he does preface this statement with a gentle shrug of his shoulders and an "in my humble opinion".

The album went straight to No1 on South African iTunes when it was released digitally earlier this month. It drops in hard copy today.

AKA, whose real name is Kiernan Forbes, released his debut album in 2011. It won him several awards and a massive fan base, including 278000 Twitter followers.

He said Levels reflects the hard work he's put into it and the growing-up he's done as a writer, producer and person.

"In terms of the sound, a lot has changed because I set out to create a new genre. If you listen to Congratulate, it's like kwaito, house and hip-hop all at the same time.

"In rap, no one wants to listen to a humble rapper."

Often accused of arrogance, he said: "That's what rap music was founded on. It was founded on competition and your ability to be confident in yourself. Sometimes, the level at which I believe in myself might intimidate people.

"I'd rather people passionately hate my guts or passionately love me than go: 'Ah, AKA. Whatever'."