In the pre-chapter prologue, Noah describes how children in Germany and the United Kingdom are taught about their countries’ crimes in school. He compares South Africa to America, where national atrocities are glossed over.

Noah gets into the illegal CD burning business, joining forces with a white “pirate” named Andrew who is afraid to interface with Black clients. After Andrew graduates, he bequeaths Noah his CD burner. Noah continues to invest in new technology, first burning whole albums, then making mixed CDs. Liberated by the money he brings in, he starts buying American goods, like McDonalds.

On the suggestion of his middleman, Bongani, Noah starts DJing for street parties in the shantytown of Alexandra. His sets are popular. He recruits a friend named Hitler to lead a dance crew to dance to new songs. Because European colonial forces required Black Africans to have “a name that white people could pronounce” (187), people have an English name, traditional name, and surname. At the same time, colonists did not educate Black South Africans. As a result, some Black South Africans have names that many people would find shocking and offensive.