HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kiernan Jarryd Forbes (28 January 1988 – 10 February 2023), known professionally as AKA, was a South African rapper, record producer, and businessman. Born in
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
and raised in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, Forbes gained recognition after releasing his single "Victory Lap" from his debut studio album, '' Altar Ego'' (2011). Often regarded as one of the greatest South African musicians of all time, he was one of the most popular South African musicians of his era and the best-selling South African hip hop artist of all-time. Forbes continued his success by releasing studio albums including '' Levels'' (2014), a collaborative album with
Anatii Anathi Bhongo Mnyango (born 8 January 1993), known professionally as Anatii, is a South African rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Career Anatii began his professional musical journey at the age of 14 when he received his first m ...
titled ''
Be Careful What You Wish For Be Careful What You Wish For is an English phrase. It may also refer to: Books * Be Careful What You Wish For... (novella), ''Be Careful What You Wish For...'' (novella), the twelfth book in R.L. Stine's ''Goosebumps'' series * Be Careful What You ...
'' (2017), '' Touch My Blood'' (2018) and his final album, '' Mass Country'' (2023). On 10 February 2023, Forbes was shot dead outside a restaurant in
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
.


Life and career


1988–2013: Early life, beginnings and ''Alter Ego''

Kiernan Jarryd Forbes was born in
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, South Africa 28 January 1988 into a Christian family. He is the eldest of two boys he is the older brother of Steffan Forbes. He moved to
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
at a young age and attended St John's College. In 2002, Forbes, alongside his two friends Vice Versa and Greyhound/
Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh (born 4 January 1989) is a South African University lecturer, Podcaster, author, musician and activist. Mpofu-Walsh was president of the University of Cape Town Students' Representative Council in 2010. He holds a DPhil in Inte ...
, formed a hip hop group called Entity. The group received a nomination for a
KORA Award The KORA All Africa Music Awards are music awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan Africa. The awards were founded in 1994 by Benin born businessman, Ernest Adjovi, after a discussion in Namibia with the country's President H ...
in the Best African Hip Hop category. Entity disbanded in 2006 and Forbes went on to study sound engineering. In 2006, Forbes co-founded the production collective The I.V League alongside two other members. The I.V League made production credits for several artists, including
Khuli Chana Khulane Morule (born August 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Khuli Chana, is a South African Motswako rapper. In 2014, he released his single titled Hape Le Hape 2.1 featuring Da L.E.S and Magesh. In September of the year, he releas ...
, ProKid and JR. In 2009, he released three singles: "In My Walk", "I Do", and "Mistakes". On 28 July 2010, Forbes released "I Want It All", which is the lead single from his debut studio album, '' Altar Ego''. The album also pre-released two singles which were "All I Know" and "Victory Lap". "Victory Lap" was successful as it topped South African local radio charts. ''Alter Ego'' was then released on 23 August 2011. The album was certified gold by
RiSA Risa may refer to: * Risa (given name), a feminine given name * Risa (Star Trek), a fictional planet * Radioiodinated serum albumin * Recording Industry of South Africa * Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer analysis See also * * * Rise (disambiguation) ...
for its commercial success. The album won several accolades, including the 2011
Metro FM Awards The 15th installment of the annual Metro FM Music Awards is an award ceremony in the South African music industry honouring musicians who did exceedingly well in their field throughout 2015. The show first aired on SABC 1 on February 27, 2016. The ...
for Best Hip Hop Album. Forbes won Best Male Artist of the Year at the 2012
South African Music Awards The South African Music Awards (often simply the SAMAs) are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held annually, usually in late April or May, with the judging process starting in ...
.


2014–2017: ''Levels'' and ''Be Careful What You Wish For''

Forbes released his second album, titled '' Levels'', on 30 June 2014. The album was supported by four singles: "Jealousy", "Kontrol" (featuring
Da L.E.S Leslie Jonathan Mampe Jr., (born 26 July 1985), better known by his stage name Da L.E.S, is a South African-American hip hop recording artist and record producer. He achieved early success with his band, Jozi, and is most known for his solo ...
), "Congratulate" and "Run Jozi (Godly)" which features KO and Yanga. The album was certified platinum in 2014, and double platinum in 2018 by RiSA. This album gave Forbes the unique distinction of being the first South African rapper to go platinum with an album mainly recorded in English On 2 December 2016, Forbes released the lead single "The World is Yours" from his third studio album. With the delay of its release, Forbes collaborated with associated act
Anatii Anathi Bhongo Mnyango (born 8 January 1993), known professionally as Anatii, is a South African rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Career Anatii began his professional musical journey at the age of 14 when he received his first m ...
in composing the album, ''
Be Careful What You Wish For Be Careful What You Wish For is an English phrase. It may also refer to: Books * Be Careful What You Wish For... (novella), ''Be Careful What You Wish For...'' (novella), the twelfth book in R.L. Stine's ''Goosebumps'' series * Be Careful What You ...
''. The album was released on 28 July 2017, with a positive response from critics. It was supported by three singles: "10 Fingers", "Don't Forget To Pray" and "Holy Mountain".


2018–2019: ''Touch My Blood''

With the pre-release of "The World is Yours" in 2016, Forbes also pre-released songs including "Caiphus Song", "Star Signs" (featuring
Stogie T Tumi Molekane (born 16 August 1981) is a Tanzanian-born South African rapper and poet. He was the lead vocalist of Tumi and the Volume, that was officially disbanded in 2012. In 2016, Tumi relaunched himself as Stogie T and released an eponymou ...
) and "Sweet Fire" in supporting the release of his third album, '' Touch My Blood''. Concerning the album's front cover, Forbes took to Twitter to announce a contest for graphic designers to design the artwork for his album, using his clear face portrait. As numerous entries were sent, Forbes chose the winner named Taonga, who received an internship with Beam Group. Fifteen days before its release, he released the controversial single "Beyonce" which was a dismissive song dedicated to his past partner
Bonang Matheba Bonang Dorothy Matheba (born 25 June 1987), is a South African television presenter, radio personality, actress and social media personality. She is known for her flamboyant presenting skills and her signature voice. She presented the SABC 1 m ...
. ''Touch My Blood'' was then released on 15 June 2018 as it was set to release on 25 May 2018 but then delayed for taking time in building its promotion. The album was certified platinum then later certified double platinum by RiSA as for 2019. ''Touch My Bloods sixth single "Fela in Versace" featuring Kiddominant received higher commercial success compared to the other singles. The album features guest appearances from fellow South African artists including L-Tido, JR, Yanga Chief, Stogie T, Kwesta and Okmalumkoolkat, as well as Nigerian artist and producer Kiddominant. On 8 April 2018, Forbes was featured on a
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
live event in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. In February 2019, he was the featured roastee in 
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
 ''SA'' annual roast special. In April 2020, Forbes alongside vodka brand Cruz launched a watermelon-flavoured drink with his initial on the bottles.


2020–2023: ''Bhovamania'', ''Mass Country''

On 6 November 2021, AKA's
Extended Play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
''Bhovamania'' was released. The EP was supported by four singles: "Energy", "Python", "Monuments" and "Cross My Heart". At the tenth ceremony of the
South African Hip Hop Awards The South African Hip Hop Awards (commonly abbreviated as SAHHA) are an annual hip hop award ceremony, that celebrates achievements within the South African hip hop culture, established in 2012. The awards are presented annually, and are broadca ...
, he received a nomination for Artist of the Decade. In early September 2022, AKA announced plans for his fourth studio album ''Mass Country'' on Instagram. The
Nasty C Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo (born 11 February 1997), known professionally as Nasty C, is a South African rapper, songwriter, and record producer. After releasing three mixtapes, and two Extended play, EPs, Ngcobo released his debut album ' ...
-assisted track " Lemons (Lemonade) " was released on 16 September 2022, as the album's lead single. The song was certified 4× Platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA). The album was released on 24 February 2023. It reached Platinum in South Africa. In July 2023, Sony Africa announced an upcoming ''Mass Country'' Deluxe edition, released date to be announced.


Personal life

Forbes began dating producer
DJ Zinhle Ntombezinhle Jiyane Mohosana (born 30 December 1982) known professionally as DJ Zinhle, is a South African DJ, producer, businesswomen, media personality. Zinhle has also pursued an acting career. She made her on-screen debut as judge in ''J ...
at the end of 2014. After receiving several
South African Hip Hop Awards The South African Hip Hop Awards (commonly abbreviated as SAHHA) are an annual hip hop award ceremony, that celebrates achievements within the South African hip hop culture, established in 2012. The awards are presented annually, and are broadca ...
accolades, Zinhle hinted at their relationship by tweeting "Congratulations to my winner". The couple have a daughter named Kairo Owethu Forbes, born in 2015. In August 2015, Forbes and Zinhle split after it was revealed that Forbes allegedly cheated on Zinhle with television presenter
Bonang Matheba Bonang Dorothy Matheba (born 25 June 1987), is a South African television presenter, radio personality, actress and social media personality. She is known for her flamboyant presenting skills and her signature voice. She presented the SABC 1 m ...
. As Forbes and Matheba denied the allegations, they declared as they revealed their relationship in 2016. Forbes and Matheba broke up in December 2017. However, Forbes and Zinhle got back together in late 2018, although later in 2019 they broke up again. On 21 February 2021, Forbes posted a picture on Instagram announcing his engagement to girlfriend Nelli Tembe. On 11 April 2021, Tembe died after a fall from a hotel in
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
. Following the death of Tembe, reports emerged that Forbes had been on drugs. He issued a public statement in response saying he would not be drawn into exposing their troubles as a couple to defend himself against "one-sided views". The rapper's statement came in the wake of a
News24 News 24 may refer to: * News 24 (Albania), a 24-hour news television channel in Albania *News24 (website), a South Africa-based news website * Rai News24, a 24-hour news television channel in Italy *BBC News 24, now known as BBC News, a UK 24-hour n ...
report, which claimed to have seen images where Forbes can be seen using his hands to violently break down a wooden door to enter the bedroom in their apartment in Bryanston, Johannesburg, where Tembe was hiding. The incident allegedly took place on 13 March 2021, almost a month before her death.


Death

On 10 February 2023 at 22:00 ( SAST) local time, Forbes was scheduled to perform at the Yugo nightclub in
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
as part of his birthday celebration. That night, as he was standing outside a restaurant with friends, a gunman ran up to Forbes and fatally shot him in the head while his accomplice shot and killed his friend Tebello Motsoane, after which both men fled the scene on foot. Forbes and Motsoane were both pronounced dead at the scene. Although two people were present during the assassination of AKA, six people in total were involved in the late rapper’s death. Police revealed that his death was the result of an organized hit. The person who orchestrated the murder followed AKA from the
King Shaka International Airport King Shaka International Airport , abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa. It is located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately north of the city centre of Durban. The airport opened its doors ...
to his hotel. Four vehicles, two gunmen, two stalkers, and a weapons dealer all contributed to the death of AKA and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane.


Discography

Studio albums * '' Altar Ego'' (2011) * '' Levels'' (2014) * '' Touch My Blood'' (2018) * '' Mass Country'' (2023) Collaborative albums * ''
Be Careful What You Wish For Be Careful What You Wish For is an English phrase. It may also refer to: Books * Be Careful What You Wish For... (novella), ''Be Careful What You Wish For...'' (novella), the twelfth book in R.L. Stine's ''Goosebumps'' series * Be Careful What You ...
'' (with
Anatii Anathi Bhongo Mnyango (born 8 January 1993), known professionally as Anatii, is a South African rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Career Anatii began his professional musical journey at the age of 14 when he received his first m ...
) (2017) * You're Welcome (with Costa Tich) (2021) Extended plays * 24/7/366 E.P (2009) * ''Bhovamania'' (2020)


Awards and nominations


See also

*
List of murdered hip hop musicians This is a list of notable rappers and Hip hop music, hip hop musicians murdered since 1987. Two studies in the mid-2010s concluded that murder was the cause of half of hip hop musician deaths. The average age of death is between 25–30 years of ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aka 21st-century South African singers 1988 births 2023 deaths 21st-century South African businesspeople Afrobeats musicians Cape Coloureds Deaths by firearm in South Africa Hip-hop record producers Musicians from Cape Town South African Christians South African audio engineers South African male singer-songwriters South African male rappers South African record producers English-language singers from South Africa