Rapper AKA was shot and killed outdoors of a restaurant within the metropolis of Durban, South Africa, on Friday. He was 35.
The dad and mom of the South African performer, whose authorized title is Kiernan Forbes, confirmed the passing of their son on Saturday in an emotional assertion through social media.
“It’s with excessive unhappiness that we acknowledge the passing of our beloved son, and make sure his premature and tragic passing on the night or February 10, 2023. We’re awaiting additional particulars from Durban police,” Tony and Lynn Forbes wrote within the assertion, which was shared on AKA’s official Twitter account.
“To us, Kiernan Jarryd Forbes was a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and pal, most significantly father to his beloved daughter Kairo,” his dad and mom added. “To many, he was AKA, Supa Mega, Bhova and the various different names of affection his legion of followers known as him by. Our son was liked and gave love in return.”
Police say that AKA, who was scheduled to carry out at a nightclub on Friday, had been strolling to his automotive in a well-liked nightlife space of the coastal metropolis shortly after 10 p.m. when two armed people fired a number of gunshots at shut vary earlier than fleeing, The New York Instances stories. A second man died on the scene, believed to be AKA’s pal Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, a chef and entrepreneur.
Authorities had been nonetheless looking for the suspects at press time, based on the Instances.
Hours earlier than his dying on Friday, AKA shared a put up on Instagram selling his upcoming album, Mass Nation, which is scheduled for launch later this month. Following information of his dying, the put up was flooded with feedback from music stars like Diplo and Swizz Beatz. “Rattling bro,” Diplo wrote. Swizz added quite a few crying face emojis.
One in every of South Africa’s main hip-hop artists, AKA had labored as a producer for quite a few artists earlier than releasing his 2010 debut album, Altar Ego, which featured the favored monitor “Victory Lap.” He later grow to be identified for songs like “All Eyes on Me,” “Fela in Versace” and “Lemons (Lemonade).”
In 2019, he was the topic of a Comedy Central Roast particular that aired on Comedy Central Africa.
Learn the total assertion from AKA’s dad and mom on Twitter beneath.
This story first appeared on Billboard.com.
