Sizwe Dhlomo Claims There’s No Living Competition For K.O. Renowned media personality and hip-hop enthusiast Sizwe Dhlomo has once again shaken the timeline — this time with a bold and highly polarising statement.
Taking to X, Sizwe Dhlomo boldly claimed that there’s no living competition for the veteran rapper K.O in the SA Hip hop space. “KO has no living competition.”
The simple yet explosive claim lit up South African Twitter (X), prompting a flurry of responses from hip-hop fans, artists, and culture commentators alike. For some, Dhlomo’s praise of K.O — the Skhanda Gawd and veteran rapper known for hits like “Caracara,” “SETe,” and “Let Me Cook” — was long overdue.
“I gotta agree. He continued to drop new music even when SA hip hop was effectively dead! To the point where I don’t even know how many hits he has. Endless. Class,” one user wrote, commending K.O‘s unwavering presence even during the genre’s quieter years.
Another echoed that sentiment with a touch of nostalgia:
“True. He’s the only surviving act from the pre-2010 generation.”
But not everyone was convinced. A reply laced with clever critique read:
“Ok. But.
Caracara belongs to Kid X
Don Dada belongs to OkMalumKoolkat
Homeground belongs to Roiii
Let Me Cook belongs to Maglera018
So maybe longevity/Consistency.
And Nasty still going…
Unless you talking boxing, then yeah, prolly: nothing beats a KO.”
Another user didn’t hold back either:
“KO? Nah, bro. He is good, but not that good. I know this could sound silly, but Emtee is who I roll with. Nigga is so talented.”
Even among the sceptics, there was acknowledgement of K.O’s resilience and work ethic. He has continued to evolve through eras, outlasting peers and adapting his sound while staying true to his roots. For many, that consistency earns him a place in the pantheon — but does it make him untouchable?
A particularly poetic take summed it up with flair:
“If I too were born in 1974, I’d be a decade older than my oldest sister, eliminating the competition. Other than that, I know not to compete because I can’t be beat — so there’s no need, nor is there any rivals to have taken out!”
Dhlomo’s comment adds fuel to an ongoing discourse about who truly sits at the top of South African hip hop. Is it the legacy of K.O’s impact? The emotional pull of Emtee’s storytelling? The generational dominance of Nasty C?
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