AKA declared he “never planned… never intended to be a star” in the first song of his 2011 smash solo album Altar Ego. But, the South African, who was assassinated in Durban a week ago, was forthright about his abilities.
The 35-year-old award-winning rapper proclaimed himself the finest producer in his genre a few days prior to his murder, which authorities believe to have been a targeted homicide.
The musician, also known by the moniker Supa Mega, tweeted: “Statistically speaking, considering I’ve created 90% of all my songs, certainly I’m the best SA hip-hop producer of all time.” This statement sparked a significant discussion.
Yet he previously predicted that he would be “shining like a diamond that’s everlasting, now congratulate me” in 2014 on Congratulate, one of the tracks that cemented his megastar status.
On Friday in Johannesburg, thousands of his admirers, collectively known as “The Megacy,” are anticipated to either follow him online or show up for his open memorial, ensuring that he will continue to shine. Even though he said he didn’t want it, he surely became a star.
The president of South Africa rejected the province of Gauteng’s request for a state funeral, which even elevated the man to the position of a national hero. His life and work, meanwhile, were not without controversy.
Born Kiernan Forbes in Cape Town in 1988, AKA became one of the nation’s most well-known hip-hop musicians after putting out three solo albums and working on projects with other artists. When he was a small child, he lived with his grandparents in Mitchells Plain, one of Cape Town’s riskiest townships where drug use and gang activity are common.
But after that, he and his mother relocated to Johannesburg, where he went to Saint John’s College, an Anglican school that calls itself “among South Africa’s preeminent colleges.” His musical career began there when he joined forces with two high school pals, Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh and Nhlanhla Makena, to establish the Entity hip-hop group.
They later received a KORA All Africa Music Award nomination. Mpofu-Walsh, a writer and scholar today, praised him on Twitter and declared, “He was meant for greatness from then.” AKA created hits for musicians like ProKid and Kuli Chana after the duo split up to pursue a career in sound engineering.
Later, he collaborated with artists including Da L.E.S, Nasty C, Kwesta, and Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy. His influence may be seen in the enormous number of musicians, producers, politicians, and celebrities who have paid homage.
Yet over the past five years, speculation about his private life has increased as tabloid articles about his relationships and public breakups have appeared. He dated famous people like DJ Zinhle, with whom he had a daughter who is now 7 years old.
However, he did not hold back from publicly fighting with other members of the business, most notably Burna Boy and fellow rapper Cassper Nyovest of South Africa. AKA and the Nigerian got into a fight during South Africa’s xenophobic confrontations in 2019 after the West African singer advised black migrants in South Africa to defend themselves from attackers.
The rapper’s troubles took a sad turn in 2021 when his 22-year-old fiancée Anele Tembe passed away in questionable circumstances after falling from a Cape Town hotel’s 10th story. She was thought to have committed suicide.
Moses Tembe, a well-known businessman, rejected this during his daughter’s burial and said that his daughter was not suicidal. AKA published the song Tears Run Dry in her honor as a memento of their romance. He sang, “When I wake up, I cannot feel the sun since you’re not by my side.”
Nevertheless, when the model passed away, footage that was posted on social media revealed a darker side of the singer, including him slamming doors during one confrontation. A few weeks following the passing of his fiancée, AKA fought to repair the damage done to his damaged reputation.
He denied ever being aggressive or harsh. South African prosecutors opted not to press charges against him, a decision that was viewed as a vindication for him. Oscar Mdlongwa, better known by his stage as Oskido, a South African DJ and recording artist, remarked that Tembe’s passing affected AKA.
After paying his respects to the family earlier this week, he stated, “You could tell that he wasn’t the Kiernan we knew 10 years ago. As he departed this life, he was a different Kiernan.”
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AKA claimed to have changed for the better.
“I occasionally yearn to serve folks humble pie as I used to, smearing it all over their faces. Becoming a better person is difficult, but “said he.
“Slain in Broad Daylight”
The police think a hired hitman killed him on Friday night in front of a well-known restaurant in Durban. CCTV shows a guy crossing the street, approaching AKA, and then shooting the rapper twice in the head, killing him instantly.
The suspect is wearing a white sweater and cap. Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, AKA’s longtime buddy, and both of them were slain. Assassinating AKA in broad daylight was a hit, according to what is known and has been observed, according to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, who paid a visit to the family on Sunday.
Because AKA was a musician and not a drug king, we need to find out what really happened. Why should he have been slain in that manner? He queried. AKA posed the question, “What would happen to simply an average person who has tremendous talent?” in the first track of his solo debut album.
The query had a terrible response twelve years later.