K.O reflects on two decades of fame, faith and resilience

FROM

- LUTHO PASIYA

TWENTY years into his career, K.O is choosing reflection over momentum with his new single 20 Summers. | Instagram/K.O

Teargas to solo success, K.O is marking two decades in music with a moment of reflection.“As someone who has lived a career life of constant pressure and pursuit of what is next, I realised that I had not truly taken the time to reflect and pat myself on the back for a job well done, like I should,” he said.

“I was recently putting together a montage of some of my career highlights, and I almost became emotional watching my own evolution.”

To celebrate this milestone, K.O has recently released his new single 20 Summers, a track that stands as both a personal checkpoint and a celebration of longevity.

The song captures a shift in perspective for an artist who has spent years focused on growth, targets and the next achievement. Now, he pauses to look back at the road that built his name.

The journey began with Teargas, where K.O not only found his voice as a rapper but also stepped into leadership. After a fallout with early management, he found himself taking on more responsibility within the group.

“I ended up having to take the reins, not because the guys asked me to, but naturally with my hustling spirit and the network that I was steadily building,” he explained.

That period would shape his approach to the business side of music and lay the groundwork for what followed.

It was this instinct that led him to establish Cashtime Life, a label that would become central to his career and to the rise of several artists.