Not only is AKA one of the most prolific rappers in South Africa, but is also a brand ambassador and businessman of note! He is indeed the Supa Mega of the rap game!
Born on 28th January 1988, AKA is currently 33 years old. A memorable moment was when the star celebrated his 31st birthday in 2019. He dropped the video for his hit song, Jika ft. Yanga Chief. The song was an instant hit. Just within 24 hours of its release, it received more than 100, 000 views and over three million since then.
AKA’s real name is Kiernan Jarryd Forbes. His dad named him Kiernan after an Italian rugby player. In 2019, AKA suggested through a Twitter post that he intended to change his stage name.
“I just feel like “AKA” had a good run and it was dope while it lasted but it doesn’t “fit” me anymore. Plus it’s super hard to google.”
He chose this stage name because of the many roles he plays: “I'm a producer a.k.a songwriter a.k.a performer and so on and so on,” he said.
But the rapper is yet to change his name. One of the top contenders for his new avatar is King Forbes. Fans, however, like to call him Supa Mega.
AKA grew up in Mitchell’s Plain with his grandmother where he attended Holy Cross Convent primary school. He moved to Johannesburg in 1995 to live with his parents. AKA attended Greenside Primary School and St. John’s College, Johannesburg.
AKA is one of South Africa's biggest hip-hop artists of all time. However, despite several awards under his belt, this platinum-selling musician hasn't just been in the news for his music. Fame accompanies a lot of drama, haters and ladies. Whenever AKA is in the news, more often than not it's juicy and riddled in controversy. Nonetheless, AKA's journey in the entertainment industry has been very eventful. Here's how his career has evolved.
AKA started rapping when he was a teenager. He was part of a hip hop group called Entity which also included Vice Versa & Greyhound. Their hit singles include First Gear and Touch & Go. The three met in high school in 2004. They released their debut album, Royal School of Hip hop a year later. The album was produced by fellow rapper Slikour. This AKA album got Entity a nomination at the 2005 KORA Awards in the 'Best African Hip Hop' category. Sadly, Entity was disbanded in 2006 and AKA went on to study sound engineering. He then went on to form a production company with Buks and Kamza called The Ivy League.
AKA's brand as a solo artist took off in 2009 after he released Do It, Problems, and In My Walk. However, it took the release of his debut album Altar-Ego in 2011-12, for him to gain attention. The album featured smash hits such as I Want It All, All I Know, and Victory Lap. The album won 'Best Newcomer', 'Best Hip Hop' and' Best Produced Album' at the Metro FM Music Awards. Since then, AKA has released the following albums: Levels (2014), Be Careful What You Wish For with Anati (2017), and Touch My Blood (2018).
Run Jozi Featuring K.O.
Congratulate
Baddest
Fela in Versace
Don't forget to Pray featuring Anatii
All Eyes on Me - a collaboration with Nigerian superstar Burna Boy, along with Da L.E.S. and J.R.
Free which AKA has done alongside Riky Rick and D.J. Tira.
In 2020, AKA finally dropped the highly anticipated album, Bhovamania. With a tracklist of 13 songs, Bhovamania includes a 49 seconds intro with some pretty amazing tunes like Casino, Heavy Drank, Python, My Heart, Finesse, Holy Water, Energy, Monuments, African Man, Startin' Now, and AKA.
The track Mufasa was particularly famous. The lyrics heavily allude to his archenemy. Energy is another hit from the same album that's gained traction. It got over a million views on YouTube.
His mother Lynne Forbes was a teacher. His father worked for an insurance company.
DJ Zinhle and AKA have a five-year-old daughter named Kairo Forbes. Earlier this year, AKA went on a Twitter rampage. He called out followers for attacking him after he was accused of using auto-tune in his music. As part of his response, AKA got his daughter and DJ Zinhle involved. He tweeted:
"Kairo is 10x richer than you and she can neither read nor write."
That tweet was Dj Zinhle's entry into the conversation. She didn't mince her words. She admitted that Kairo didn't know how to read and write because she is only five years old - and that doesn't justify the abuse.
As part of his rant, AKA called social media users "vile."
"One of my biggest missions in life is to teach my child how vile you people are as soon as humanly possible. The other day we spoke about her hitting a million followers on Instagram ... I asked her, baby do you know what a follower is? She had no fuckin' clue. Look at y'all. Y'all some sick bastards... typing #BlackLivesMatter with those greasy paws of yours.", he tweeted.
One of the most drama-filled relationships in Mzansi's history was that of DJ Zinhle and AKA. Their interaction began on Instagram. When they met at a gig in Botswana in 2012, things escalated. Since then, the two have had a tumultuous relationship, with one of the highlights being the dreaded affair between him and Bonang Matheba. The affair happened in February 2015 when Zinhle was pregnant. Two months after the baby was born, Zinhle revealed that she'd split up with AKA on grounds of his affair with Bonang.
Bonang Matheba and AKA dated from 2015 to 2017. It began on a controversial note as AKA was in a relationship with DJ Zinhle at the time. While the couple denied DJ Zinhle's accusations at first, AKA confessed in 2018 that the cheating rumours were true.
"The start of my relationship (with Bonang) was painful because, at the time, I was in a relationship with my baby mama who was pregnant. What we put her through was wrong. And I've apologized for that. And I'm sorry for that. And maybe she (Bonang) will apologize for it one day as well," he told Anele Mdoda on her show Real Talk.
AKA met Anele Tembe in 2020 after he confirmed his split from DJ Zinhle. AKA's Instagram post with his new bae on Valentine's day made ripples on the internet. It didn't take long before the two announced their engagement and also not long before the relationship met a tragic end.
Anele Tembe died after she had allegedly jumped from the 10th floor of the swanky Pepper Club Hotel in Cape Town following a heated argument with Kiernan. The couple had only been engaged for two weeks at the time. The two families shared a joint statement about her death.
"We are still in shock and are dealing with our emotions, as she was an exceptional and gifted young woman, with so much life ahead of her. She was naturally sweet and was always nurturing to those around her. Her fiancé, Kiernan Forbes, is currently inconsolable and is surrounded by family and closest friends. At this hour of our grief, we humbly request that our families be given privacy and time to heal".
After Anele Tembe’s funeral service that was live-streamed from the Durban I.C.C., AKA had to deal with the aftermath of his fiancée's death. Anele's father, Moses Tembe, claimed that his daughter hadn't committed suicide because it was unlike her to consider such a solution. Part of the media seemingly pointed the accusing finger on AKA.
The AKA-Cassper Nyovest feud is a story that doesn’t get old for anyone in Msanzi. In late 2020, AKA challenged his rival to a boxing match to settle their feud. Since then, the two of them have been trading blows on social media instead. AKA Instagram and Twitter fans thought he took the whole thing a bit too far by dragging Cassper's parents into the beef. He also called Cassper by the derogatory word for a homosexual man in South Africa. Although AKA did eventually apologize, this feud is far from over.
During their two-year relationship, AKA was accused of cheating on Bonang Matheba. A 2017 tabloid report claimed the rapper was seen getting cosy with a woman named Nicole Nyaba at the Hard Rock Cafe in Sandton. Both parties denied the rumours. In a Twitter post, AKA offered to reward anyone who could produce evidence of their alleged make-out session.
"R100 000 reward for anyone with a picture of Nicole Nyaba at Hard Rock Cafe on the night mentioned in that article…. Think about it. Y'all think I would take someone I was cheating with to my own company’s event? IN PUBLIC??? Are you stupid?!"
While at the start, Nicole Nyaba was coy about the whole thing, she did later have some slip-ups. The video vixen shared pictures in July 2018 sitting in a house that looked a lot like AKA's mansion in Bryanston. Eventually, she revealed everything in a 2018 interview. She said that AKA was an amazing boyfriend and that the two lived together at some point. They eventually split up after a fight during the Durban July weekend when AKA was spotted with ex-girlfriend DJ Zinhle.
DJ Zinhle and AKA rekindled their romance before they broke up again in 2020. That was for good.
AKA's car collection is a sight to behold. The rapper currently drives a white BMW i8 eDrive coupe worth over R1.3 million. He is a big fan of the brand and also owns a blue BMW X6M. He also owns a BMW X6 M that he bought in 2016, as well as a Volkswagen Scirocco.
The rapper also acquired a new crib just before Kairo Forbes was born. Located in the northern suburbs, the property is high-end, with the rapper having to splash out quite a few Rand on it. He bought another home soon after his breakup with baby mama DJ Zinhle in 2016. While his first home was kept away from the public eye, AKA took to social media to show off this new one quite openly. Some of AKA's Instagram videos feature tour videos of the home, showing off the pool and modern luxury décor.
AKA's net worth was R6.6 million in 2015, which is more than the net worth of many South African musicians today. The artist signed a seven-figure deal with Reebok in 2017 and is also an ambassador for Vodka Cruz. We know for a fact that AKA charges over R100,000 for every gig he does and that his albums and singles are multi-platinum statuses. Based on this, it's safe to say that AKA is one of South Africa's highest-paid artists with an estimated net worth of $15 million or R197 million. Having worked with stars such as Kanye West and Snoop Dog, there are no surprises he's got a lot of money to his name.
AKA has won several awards and nominations during his decade-long career. Some of the prominent ones include;
Won Music Video of the Year, AKA Jika ft. Yanga Chief, 26th SA Music Awards, 2020
Won Pan African Artist of the Year, Namibia Annual Music Awards 2019
Favorite S.A. Star at the 2019 Kids Choice Awards
Nominated for Pan African Artist of the Year at the B.E.T. Awards 2019
Won Best Hot Single, Collaboration, and Remix at the 2016 15th Metro FM Music Awards
Won Song of the Year for Anatii and Baddest at the 4th South African Hip Hop Awards
He also won video of the year for All Eyes on Me, Anatii, P.A.I.D. and Sim Dope at the same event
How much is AKA worth?
AKA is currently estimated to be worth $15 million or R197 million owing to his multi-platinum selling music and albums as well as the high rates he charges per performance.
What language does AKA speak?
AKA speaks English and being South African, he speaks the country’s most common tongue which is Zulu.
Not only is AKA one of the most prolific rappers in South Africa, but is also a brand ambassador and businessman of note! He is indeed the Supa Mega of the rap game!
Born on 28th January 1988, AKA is currently 33 years old. A memorable moment was when the star celebrated his 31st birthday in 2019. He dropped the video for his hit song, Jika ft. Yanga Chief. The song was an instant hit. Just within 24 hours of its release, it received more than 100, 000 views and over three million since then.
AKA’s real name is Kiernan Jarryd Forbes. His dad named him Kiernan after an Italian rugby player. In 2019, AKA suggested through a Twitter post that he intended to change his stage name.
“I just feel like “AKA” had a good run and it was dope while it lasted but it doesn’t “fit” me anymore. Plus it’s super hard to google.”
He chose this stage name because of the many roles he plays: “I'm a producer a.k.a songwriter a.k.a performer and so on and so on,” he said.
But the rapper is yet to change his name. One of the top contenders for his new avatar is King Forbes. Fans, however, like to call him Supa Mega.
AKA grew up in Mitchell’s Plain with his grandmother where he attended Holy Cross Convent primary school. He moved to Johannesburg in 1995 to live with his parents. AKA attended Greenside Primary School and St. John’s College, Johannesburg.
AKA is one of South Africa's biggest hip-hop artists of all time. However, despite several awards under his belt, this platinum-selling musician hasn't just been in the news for his music. Fame accompanies a lot of drama, haters and ladies. Whenever AKA is in the news, more often than not it's juicy and riddled in controversy. Nonetheless, AKA's journey in the entertainment industry has been very eventful. Here's how his career has evolved.
AKA started rapping when he was a teenager. He was part of a hip hop group called Entity which also included Vice Versa & Greyhound. Their hit singles include First Gear and Touch & Go. The three met in high school in 2004. They released their debut album, Royal School of Hip hop a year later. The album was produced by fellow rapper Slikour. This AKA album got Entity a nomination at the 2005 KORA Awards in the 'Best African Hip Hop' category. Sadly, Entity was disbanded in 2006 and AKA went on to study sound engineering. He then went on to form a production company with Buks and Kamza called The Ivy League.
AKA's brand as a solo artist took off in 2009 after he released Do It, Problems, and In My Walk. However, it took the release of his debut album Altar-Ego in 2011-12, for him to gain attention. The album featured smash hits such as I Want It All, All I Know, and Victory Lap. The album won 'Best Newcomer', 'Best Hip Hop' and' Best Produced Album' at the Metro FM Music Awards. Since then, AKA has released the following albums: Levels (2014), Be Careful What You Wish For with Anati (2017), and Touch My Blood (2018).
Run Jozi Featuring K.O.
Congratulate
Baddest
Fela in Versace
Don't forget to Pray featuring Anatii
All Eyes on Me - a collaboration with Nigerian superstar Burna Boy, along with Da L.E.S. and J.R.
Free which AKA has done alongside Riky Rick and D.J. Tira.
In 2020, AKA finally dropped the highly anticipated album, Bhovamania. With a tracklist of 13 songs, Bhovamania includes a 49 seconds intro with some pretty amazing tunes like Casino, Heavy Drank, Python, My Heart, Finesse, Holy Water, Energy, Monuments, African Man, Startin' Now, and AKA.
The track Mufasa was particularly famous. The lyrics heavily allude to his archenemy. Energy is another hit from the same album that's gained traction. It got over a million views on YouTube.
His mother Lynne Forbes was a teacher. His father worked for an insurance company.
DJ Zinhle and AKA have a five-year-old daughter named Kairo Forbes. Earlier this year, AKA went on a Twitter rampage. He called out followers for attacking him after he was accused of using auto-tune in his music. As part of his response, AKA got his daughter and DJ Zinhle involved. He tweeted:
"Kairo is 10x richer than you and she can neither read nor write."
That tweet was Dj Zinhle's entry into the conversation. She didn't mince her words. She admitted that Kairo didn't know how to read and write because she is only five years old - and that doesn't justify the abuse.
As part of his rant, AKA called social media users "vile."
"One of my biggest missions in life is to teach my child how vile you people are as soon as humanly possible. The other day we spoke about her hitting a million followers on Instagram ... I asked her, baby do you know what a follower is? She had no fuckin' clue. Look at y'all. Y'all some sick bastards... typing #BlackLivesMatter with those greasy paws of yours.", he tweeted.
One of the most drama-filled relationships in Mzansi's history was that of DJ Zinhle and AKA. Their interaction began on Instagram. When they met at a gig in Botswana in 2012, things escalated. Since then, the two have had a tumultuous relationship, with one of the highlights being the dreaded affair between him and Bonang Matheba. The affair happened in February 2015 when Zinhle was pregnant. Two months after the baby was born, Zinhle revealed that she'd split up with AKA on grounds of his affair with Bonang.
Bonang Matheba and AKA dated from 2015 to 2017. It began on a controversial note as AKA was in a relationship with DJ Zinhle at the time. While the couple denied DJ Zinhle's accusations at first, AKA confessed in 2018 that the cheating rumours were true.
"The start of my relationship (with Bonang) was painful because, at the time, I was in a relationship with my baby mama who was pregnant. What we put her through was wrong. And I've apologized for that. And I'm sorry for that. And maybe she (Bonang) will apologize for it one day as well," he told Anele Mdoda on her show Real Talk.
AKA met Anele Tembe in 2020 after he confirmed his split from DJ Zinhle. AKA's Instagram post with his new bae on Valentine's day made ripples on the internet. It didn't take long before the two announced their engagement and also not long before the relationship met a tragic end.
Anele Tembe died after she had allegedly jumped from the 10th floor of the swanky Pepper Club Hotel in Cape Town following a heated argument with Kiernan. The couple had only been engaged for two weeks at the time. The two families shared a joint statement about her death.
"We are still in shock and are dealing with our emotions, as she was an exceptional and gifted young woman, with so much life ahead of her. She was naturally sweet and was always nurturing to those around her. Her fiancé, Kiernan Forbes, is currently inconsolable and is surrounded by family and closest friends. At this hour of our grief, we humbly request that our families be given privacy and time to heal".
After Anele Tembe’s funeral service that was live-streamed from the Durban I.C.C., AKA had to deal with the aftermath of his fiancée's death. Anele's father, Moses Tembe, claimed that his daughter hadn't committed suicide because it was unlike her to consider such a solution. Part of the media seemingly pointed the accusing finger on AKA.
The AKA-Cassper Nyovest feud is a story that doesn’t get old for anyone in Msanzi. In late 2020, AKA challenged his rival to a boxing match to settle their feud. Since then, the two of them have been trading blows on social media instead. AKA Instagram and Twitter fans thought he took the whole thing a bit too far by dragging Cassper's parents into the beef. He also called Cassper by the derogatory word for a homosexual man in South Africa. Although AKA did eventually apologize, this feud is far from over.
During their two-year relationship, AKA was accused of cheating on Bonang Matheba. A 2017 tabloid report claimed the rapper was seen getting cosy with a woman named Nicole Nyaba at the Hard Rock Cafe in Sandton. Both parties denied the rumours. In a Twitter post, AKA offered to reward anyone who could produce evidence of their alleged make-out session.
"R100 000 reward for anyone with a picture of Nicole Nyaba at Hard Rock Cafe on the night mentioned in that article…. Think about it. Y'all think I would take someone I was cheating with to my own company’s event? IN PUBLIC??? Are you stupid?!"
While at the start, Nicole Nyaba was coy about the whole thing, she did later have some slip-ups. The video vixen shared pictures in July 2018 sitting in a house that looked a lot like AKA's mansion in Bryanston. Eventually, she revealed everything in a 2018 interview. She said that AKA was an amazing boyfriend and that the two lived together at some point. They eventually split up after a fight during the Durban July weekend when AKA was spotted with ex-girlfriend DJ Zinhle.
DJ Zinhle and AKA rekindled their romance before they broke up again in 2020. That was for good.
AKA's car collection is a sight to behold. The rapper currently drives a white BMW i8 eDrive coupe worth over R1.3 million. He is a big fan of the brand and also owns a blue BMW X6M. He also owns a BMW X6 M that he bought in 2016, as well as a Volkswagen Scirocco.
The rapper also acquired a new crib just before Kairo Forbes was born. Located in the northern suburbs, the property is high-end, with the rapper having to splash out quite a few Rand on it. He bought another home soon after his breakup with baby mama DJ Zinhle in 2016. While his first home was kept away from the public eye, AKA took to social media to show off this new one quite openly. Some of AKA's Instagram videos feature tour videos of the home, showing off the pool and modern luxury décor.
AKA's net worth was R6.6 million in 2015, which is more than the net worth of many South African musicians today. The artist signed a seven-figure deal with Reebok in 2017 and is also an ambassador for Vodka Cruz. We know for a fact that AKA charges over R100,000 for every gig he does and that his albums and singles are multi-platinum statuses. Based on this, it's safe to say that AKA is one of South Africa's highest-paid artists with an estimated net worth of $15 million or R197 million. Having worked with stars such as Kanye West and Snoop Dog, there are no surprises he's got a lot of money to his name.
AKA has won several awards and nominations during his decade-long career. Some of the prominent ones include;
Won Music Video of the Year, AKA Jika ft. Yanga Chief, 26th SA Music Awards, 2020
Won Pan African Artist of the Year, Namibia Annual Music Awards 2019
Favorite S.A. Star at the 2019 Kids Choice Awards
Nominated for Pan African Artist of the Year at the B.E.T. Awards 2019
Won Best Hot Single, Collaboration, and Remix at the 2016 15th Metro FM Music Awards
Won Song of the Year for Anatii and Baddest at the 4th South African Hip Hop Awards
He also won video of the year for All Eyes on Me, Anatii, P.A.I.D. and Sim Dope at the same event
How much is AKA worth?
AKA is currently estimated to be worth $15 million or R197 million owing to his multi-platinum selling music and albums as well as the high rates he charges per performance.
What language does AKA speak?
AKA speaks English and being South African, he speaks the country’s most common tongue which is Zulu.
