How Reason Got Ready for Audio High Definition

In the build-up to his third studio album Audio High Definition, Reason — now known as Sizwe Alakine — gifted fans an entire year of lyrical brilliance.

Month after month, he dropped new freestyles that felt like intimate audio blog entries, offering raw updates on his life, state of mind, and the world around him.

No topic was off-limits. He unpacked major moments like Khuli Chana’s shooting, Nelson Mandela’s passing, and even clapped back at Steve Hofmeyr’s controversial ‘Red October’ comments. In the March Freestyle, Reason reflected on performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival — a poignant moment considering it was the same city where his father was once imprisoned during apartheid. Over a smooth, bouncy beat, he showcased masterful flow-switching and deep emotion. On the December Freestyle, he tackled grief following Mandela’s death, while the January Freestyle became an introspective piece on the fragile realities of fame and the music industry. Here, Reason made it clear he was carving his own path, determined not to fall into the same traps as those who came before him.

The freestyle series kicked off in August 2013, where Reason gave fans a candid explanation about why he hadn’t yet bought the 325i he once bragged about on Do It Like I Can — he could afford it, sure, but sustaining it was another story. It was a moment of vulnerability that peeled back the layers behind his rapid rise to fame.

From that point until May 2014, Reason kept the momentum alive, dropping freestyles almost every month — only pausing to release singles like No Ordinary Being and Bump The Cheese Up, or to deliver a standout verse on CyHi The Prynce’s Mandela Remix (“I feel like David Motsamai, my original self is tryna hide”).

The January Freestyle, in particular, became a fan favorite, sliding into Reason’s live performances thanks to its addictive, playful hook: “I’m the illest madabeesh!”

Looking back, this series captures a vibrant slice of Reason’s journey — a time when he stood out in a fiercely competitive scene. While many artists were chasing New Age Kwaito trends, Reason, under the wings of Stogie T and Bradley Williams’ Motif Records, was keeping Hip-Hop’s purest elements alive with gritty bars and classic beats.

Stream Reason’s Monthly Freestyles below: