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AKA, a groundbreaking South African rapper born Kiernan Forbes, passed away after he was shot over the weekend. He was only 35.
According to a report the BBC published on Saturday, February 11, AKA was shot and killed along with his friend Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane outside of a restaurant in the city of Durban. Police said both the rapper and Motsoane were approached by two gunmen as they walked to their cars. They were both shot in close range as they were planning to head out to a scheduled performance for AKA's birthday. The suspected killers reportedly escaped the scene on foot.
"Both victims were declared dead at the scene," a statement from police read. "The motive of the shooting is unknown at this stage and police investigations are ongoing."
AKA got his start in the music industry when he joined a rap group called Entity in the early 2000s. After he launched his solo career, the gifted artist released his debut LP Altar Ego in 2011. He followed up with other projects over the years like his 2014 album Levels and Touch My Blood, which dropped in 2018. Throughout the course of his solo career, AKA took home several awards including an MTV EMA, numerous BET Awards and most recently, a Kids' Choice Award in 2019.
Just hours before his death, AKA took to Instagram to promote his upcoming LP Mass Country. The project is expected to drop later this month. Unfortunately, the next post to appear on his timeline was a letter from his parents Tony and Lynn Forbes who confirmed his tragic passing.
"To us, Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, was a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend, most importantly father to his beloved daughter Kairo," the statement said. "To many, he was AKA, SUPAMEGA, BHOVA and the many other names of affection his legion of fans called him by. Our son was loved and gave love in return."
The post was full of sympathetic comments from fans and superstars like Swizz Beatz, DJ Drama and more. You can read the full statement below.