While The Very Best mixtape Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit Are The Very Best caught fire with Mwamwaya singing (in Chichewa, Swahili, Portuguese and English) over Radioclit remixes of Michael Jackson, Vampire Weekend, Hans Zimmer and M.I.A., the full-length consists of original songs. For the recording, the band brings some guests on board: in addition to Vampire Weekend's Koenig joining for "Warm Heart Of Africa," M.I.A. is featured on "Rain Dance." The Very Best embodies a without-borders approach to music-making that could only happen in the 21st century.

The band came together when Mwamwaya first met Radioclit's Etienne Tron in 2007 while haggling over a bicycle in the London second-hand furniture shop he ran near the duo's studio. Following the exchange, Mwamwaya was invited to Tron's house-warming party where he met the other half of Radioclit, Johan Karlberg. Esau was asked to come to Radioclit's studio after he told Karlberg he was a drummer. It turned out Esau was a singer too and they decided to collaborate, combining Radioclit's vast production experience and self-described "ghettopop" style�having produced and remixed tracks for the likes of M.I.A., Lily Allen, Justin Timberlake, Santigold, Britney Spears, TV On The Radio, David Banner, Buraka Som Sistema among others�with Mwamwaya's emotive vocal approach. Karlberg dubbed Mwamwaya "the African Phil Collins," and they have been recording songs together ever since.