Naume

Uncle Bae returns in 2025 with *Naume*, a 13-track house album released on 12 December. The project is notably collaborative, with a broad cast of vocalists and musicians contributing across the tracklist, including Magatsela More, Njabulo Barris, Halatedzi Glen Shikwambana, Tehillah Reloaded, Siwe, Tepeê, SjavasDaDeejay and Tiro Mashile.

The album opens with two versions of “Pula Yana”: an intro and “Pula Yana (Tribute to Vho Naume)”. Both feature Magatsela More, Njabulo Barris and Halatedzi Glen Shikwambana, giving the project an immediate sense of continuity while establishing the title’s central presence. Beyond these opening tracks, however, the supplied information does not specify the story behind *Naume* or the tribute, so the album is best approached through its music and its unusually expansive list of collaborators.

Uncle Bae keeps the project moving through a sequence of feature-led house tracks. “Sedi Laka” brings in Tehillah Reloaded alongside Njabulo Barris and Halatedzi Glen Shikwambana, while “Icebo” pairs Siwe and Tepeê with the recurring Halatedzi Glen Shikwambana. Magatsela More appears again on “Go Monate”, “Moya”, “My Dali” and “Ankeke”, making the vocalist one of the album’s most prominent contributors.

The middle of *Naume* widens the collaborative palette. “Mbale Mbale” features Tepeê and Lance Hebron, while “Moya” is the album’s largest listed collaboration, adding Sayfar, Toby Franco and SjavasDaDeejay to Magatsela More and Halatedzi Glen Shikwambana. SjavasDaDeejay also appears on “Imithwalo” with LilyFaith and on “Sax Tape 3.0” with Tiro Mashile. These credits suggest a project designed around changing combinations rather than a single dominant guest voice.

The latter half continues that approach. “My Dali” brings together Magatsela More, Kelz K, Njabulo Barris and Teddyrapskinz. “Sunday Blues” narrows the guest list to Tiro Mashile and Halatedzi Glen Shikwambana, before “Maybabo” introduces Mashv Keyz and Brown Deluxe. The album closes with “Ankeke”, featuring Magatsela More and Halatedzi Glen Shikwambana.

What makes *Naume* worth noting is its scale and structure: 13 house tracks, several recurring collaborators and a tracklist that moves between intimate pairings and crowded ensemble cuts. Halatedzi Glen Shikwambana is credited on every track, while Magatsela More appears throughout key points in the album, helping create links between its different combinations.

For listeners exploring South African house releases built around a large collaborative network, *Naume* offers a substantial entry point into Uncle Bae’s 2025 output. It is a project with enough voices to keep the tracklist varied, while its recurring contributors give the album a clear connective thread.