Days after You, Me & The 90’s won Best R&B/Soul Album at SAMA32, lordkez links up with one of South African hip-hop’s most recognisable voices on “4SHO” — a collaboration that feels less like a victory lap than the beginning of something bigger.
There is something particularly satisfying about the timing of lordkez’s new single.
The SAMA says the last chapter worked. “4SHO” asks what happens when lordkez uses that momentum to widen the circle.
Less than a week after You, Me & The 90’s won Best R&B/Soul Album at the 32nd South African Music Awards, the Kimberley-born singer-songwriter has returned with “4SHO”, a new collaboration with Kwesta released on 21 August. The SAMA win is her second in the category, following the victory of her 2023 album Testament.
For an artist who has spent the past few years steadily defining exactly what her version of South African R&B sounds like, the sequence feels almost too neat: recognition for the world she has already built, immediately followed by another attempt to expand it.
And Kwesta is an interesting person to bring into that world.
“4SHO” is the pair’s first official collaboration, placing lordkez’s smooth R&B delivery against the unmistakably weightier presence of one of South African rap’s most established storytellers. The record had already been previewed publicly when Kwesta appeared during her Rosefest set before its official release.
What makes the pairing work conceptually is that neither artist needs to abandon their identity to meet the other.
lordkez has increasingly described her sound through the phrase “Neo Nostalgia” — music informed by the R&B she grew up hearing from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, but written from the perspective of someone creating firmly in the present. It is a useful description because nostalgia in her music rarely feels like imitation. The references are familiar, but the intention has been to turn that familiarity into something distinctly hers.
That philosophy was already central to You, Me & The 90’s.
The 2025 project took the warmth, romance and musical language associated with classic R&B and filtered it through lordkez’s own experiences. “Aweh” became its breakout moment, with the original later earning a Gold certification from RiSA and its remix with Cassper Nyovest reaching Double Platinum. The wider project itself was certified Platinum.
The significance of the subsequent SAMA win, then, is larger than another trophy.
It validates a creative decision.
lordkez could have approached nostalgia as an aesthetic shortcut. Instead, You, Me & The 90’s became evidence that there is room in contemporary South African R&B for music that remembers where the genre came from without sounding trapped there.
Her trajectory since then has increasingly pushed that sound beyond a purely local conversation.
In June, she made her A COLORS SHOW debut with “Wena Fela”, recorded in Brooklyn as part of the COLORSxSTUDIOS and Levi’s EMERGENT programme. lordkez told Sowetan that appearing on COLORS had once been something she could only imagine, having discovered artists through the platform years earlier. The performance also introduced audiences to new music beyond the You, Me & The 90’s chapter.
Now “4SHO” brings the story back home — but not backwards.
There is a generational quality to seeing lordkez alongside Kwesta. She represents an R&B class currently reshaping how South African alternative and soul music can travel; he belongs to a generation of rappers whose records helped establish a distinctly South African mainstream hip-hop language.
The temptation would be to frame that simply as veteran-meets-rising-star.
It is more interesting as two different musical histories meeting in the middle.
Kwesta has never needed to sound imported to command a record, while lordkez’s strongest work increasingly comes from the same principle: taking globally recognisable musical forms and making them feel inseparable from the person and place creating them.
That is why “4SHO” arrives at such an important point in her career.
The SAMA says the last chapter worked. The certifications around “Aweh” say audiences responded. COLORS offered another international window. “4SHO” now asks what happens when lordkez uses that momentum not to repeat the formula, but to widen the circle.
For an artist whose recent work has been so invested in looking backwards to understand what should come next, that may be the most fitting progression of all.
“4SHO” by lordkez featuring Kwesta is out now across digital platforms. An official music video is scheduled for 26 August 2026.
Reporting basis: Based on the supplied lordkez material, lordkez’s official artist channels, current reporting around the release of “4SHO”, SAMA32 winner coverage, lordkez’s official career biography, RiSA certification reporting, her COLORSxSTUDIOS and Levi’s EMERGENT campaign, and Viranova editorial analysis of South African R&B, nostalgia and cross-generational collaboration.
Story index Key points, people & topics
Key points & topics
- Days after You, Me & The 90’s won Best R&B/Soul Album at SAMA32, lordkez links with Kwesta on “4SHO” — a collaboration that feels less like a victory lap than the beginning of something bigger.
- Fresh from her second Best R&B/Soul Album SAMA, lordkez brings Kwesta into her “Neo Nostalgia” world on “4SHO”, turning a week of recognition into the beginning of another chapter.
Frequently asked Answers from the desk
Who is lordkez?
lordkez is a South African R&B and soul singer-songwriter whose work blends nostalgic influences with contemporary songwriting and production.
What is lordkez's new single?
Her new single is “4SHO”, a collaboration with South African rapper Kwesta.
When was “4SHO” released?
“4SHO” was released on 21 August 2026.
Is “4SHO” lordkez and Kwesta's first collaboration?
Yes. Current release material identifies “4SHO” as their first official collaboration.
Did lordkez perform “4SHO” before its release?
Yes. The unreleased song was previewed during lordkez's Rosefest performance, where Kwesta joined her on stage.
What did lordkez win at SAMA32?
You, Me & The 90’s won Best R&B/Soul Album at the 32nd South African Music Awards.
Is this lordkez's first SAMA?
No. Testament previously won Best R&B/Soul Album, making the SAMA32 victory her second win in the category.
What does lordkez mean by “Neo Nostalgia”?
lordkez uses “Neo Nostalgia” to describe music informed by the R&B she grew up hearing from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s while being written from a contemporary perspective.
What certifications has “Aweh” received?
The original “Aweh” has been certified Gold, while its remix featuring Cassper Nyovest has reached Double Platinum.
Has You, Me & The 90’s been certified?
Yes. The project has received a Platinum certification.
Credibility & transparency How this story is reported
- Content type
- News
- Verification
- Verified — multiple sources
- Reporting basis
- Based on the supplied lordkez material, lordkez’s official artist channels, current reporting around the release of “4SHO”, SAMA32 winner coverage, lordkez’s official career biography, RiSA certification reporting, her COLORSxSTUDIOS and Levi’s EMERGENT campaign, and Viranova editorial analysis of South African R&B, nostalgia and cross-generational collaboration.
- Sources & context
- lordkez’s official material and announcement establish “4SHO” as her first official collaboration with Kwesta and document its Rosefest preview. Music In Africa and other SAMA32 coverage confirm You, Me & The 90’s won Best R&B/Soul Album, while lordkez’s official biography and South African government records confirm Testament previously won the same category. TimesLIVE documents her “Neo Nostalgia” description, Daily News reports the RiSA certifications around “Aweh” and You, Me & The 90’s, and Sowetan documents her COLORS debut and Brooklyn recording experience.
- Image
- Photo: lordkez · Supplied by I Be Music
- Primary source
- instagram.com
Edited under our Editorial Standards and How We Report process. Spotted an error? Request a correction or email corrections@viranova.co.za.
Human-written · Editor-reviewed · Corrections open
Filed by Viranova Music Desk for the Music desk · South Africa. Published 21 Aug 2026.
Sources
Primary material
Viranova obtained, attended or witnessed this directly.
- lordkez released “4SHO” featuring Kwesta on 21 August 2026, marking their first official collaboration lordkez / supplied PR material accessed 21 August 2026
- “4SHO” was previewed publicly when Kwesta joined lordkez during her Rosefest performance ahead of the official release lordkez / supplied PR material accessed 21 August 2026
Secondary material
Reported first by another publication or organisation, and credited here.
- You, Me & The 90’s won Best R&B/Soul Album at the 32nd South African Music Awards Music In Africa accessed 21 August 2026
- lordkez describes her approach to R&B and soul as “Neo Nostalgia”, combining music from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s with future-facing songwriting Sunday Times / TimesLIVE accessed 21 August 2026
- The original “Aweh” was certified Gold, the Cassper Nyovest remix Double Platinum and You, Me & The 90’s Platinum IOL accessed 21 August 2026
- lordkez made her A COLORS SHOW debut with “Wena Fela” through the COLORSxSTUDIOS and Levi’s EMERGENT programme, with the performance filmed in Brooklyn Sowetan accessed 21 August 2026
- COLORS released Wena Fela - A COLORS SHOW on 1 June 2026 Apple Music accessed 21 August 2026
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