In a devastating turn of events this weekend, sensational South African rapper AKA was shot outside a Durban restaurant. The tragedy has left South Africans grief-stricken and mourning the loss of one of their beloved artists. According to a statement from KwaZulu-Natal police, two men aged 34 and 35 were fatally wounded just after 10 p.m. local time on Friday night.
The victims, appear to have been returning to their vehicle after leaving a restaurant “when they were allegedly approached by two armed suspects who walked to them from across the street and shot the victims at close range,” police said. “The suspects are reported to have fled from the scene on foot.” They died at the scene.
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What Did South African Rapper AKA Achieve?
MTV Europe recognized South African rapper AKA for his iconic single “Lemons (Lemonade)”, Forbes earned great success and recognition and received several South African awards and nominations for a BET Award in the U.S., an Music award, and more. Hours before his untimely death, 35-year-old Forbes shared a post on his Twitter page regarding his newly released album ‘Mass Country’, which was slated to launch later this month.
South-African-rapper-AKA-shot-and-killed. Photo/ GhPage.
To commemorate their son and brother’s life, Forbes’ family issued an official statement through one of his social media accounts to honour him.
“It is with extreme sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our beloved son, and confirm his untimely and tragic passing on the evening of February 10, 2023,” his parents wrote in a statement published on the 35-year-old artist’s social media accounts early Saturday, adding that they were awaiting further details from Durban police.
“To us, Kiernan Jarryd Forbes was a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend, most importantly father to his beloved daughter Kairo,” they wrote.
“To many, he was AKA, Supa Mega, Bhova and the many other names of affection his legion of fans called him by. Our son was loved and gave love in return.” Motsoane, who was also AKA’s former manager, described him on social media as “a true gentleman”.
How Famous was AKA?
South African rapper AKA was absolutely famous for his music and electrifying stage presence whenever he performed in concerts. The ‘All Eyes on Me’ singer was born in Cape Town on January 28, 1988. He grew up in Johannesburg where the city’s musical influences pushed his desire to become a rapper. He hooked up with Greyhound and Vice Versa while in Jo’burg and they formed a hip-hop trio band in 2002. The trio went by the stage name Entity. They stuck together for four years and disbanded the group for each member to pursue individual academic goals.
South African rapper AKA. Photo/The Citizen
But not before making headlines in South African music circles, especially after earning a KORA Award nomination as the Best Hip Hop group. South African rapper AKA proceeded to pursue Sound Engineering at St John’s College where he honed music recording and production skills. His first venture as a solo artist was co-founding The I.V League label where he managed artists such as JR, Kuli Chana, and ProKid among others. AKA’s debut single came in 2009. He released In My Walk and followed it up with Mistakes.
When Did Rapper AKA Become Famous?
His first album release Atar Ego in 2011 made South African rapper AKA famous. Victory Lap, one of the tracks in this debut album fueled his fame so much that RISA certified it gold due to its massive success. He released three other albums between 2012 and 2023 namely:
- Levels
- Touch My Blood
- Mass Country
AKA also released two extended plays (Eps) in his entire career. They include:
- 24/7/366
- Bhovamania (2020)
Popular Songs by AKA
Some of the most popular songs by the late South African rapper AKA include the following:
- Jika
- All Eyes On Me
- One Time
- Energy
- Lemons (Lemonade)
- Caiphus Song
- Don’t Forget to Pray
- 10 Fingers
Is Crime Rate High in South Africa?
South Africa, is among the countries with the highest murder rate in the world. Gun-related shootings are a common occurrence. According to estimates by Gun Free South Africa, an organization working hard to reduce this violence, 30 people are murdered by gunshots every day. In November 2022, this wave of violence robbed Oupa Sefoka – or “DJ Sumbody” popular in Amapiano house music sub-genre, when he was shot dead alongside his bodyguard. In 2007, Lucky Dube was shot three times in a botched hijacking attempt as he dropped off his teenage son at a relative’s home.
