AKA was 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!
AKA whose real name was Kiernan Jarryd Forbes was born on 28 January 1988 in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
AKA’s parents are Lynne Forbes (mother) and Tony Forbes (father). His mother was a teacher and his father worked for an insurance company.
AKA's Mother | Source: Instagram
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 but that never came to be as he still goes by the name AKA.
“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 explained that he chose the name AKA because of the many roles he played. He was a producer, songwriter, performer and music producer.
AKA died on the 10 February 2023.
The rapper and his long-time friend and associate Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane were fatally gunned down outside a night club in Durban, in what is believed to have been an assassination.
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's Career | Source: Instagram
AKA was one of South Africa's biggest hip-hop artists of all time. The musician began his rap career as a teenager and his journey in the entertainment industry evolved tremendously.
AKA went on to become an international sensation and platinum-selling musician with many awards under his belt.
AKA started bis career as part of a hip hop group called Entity which also included Vice Versa & Greyhound.
AKA's Career | Source: Instagram
Their hit singles include First Gear and Touch & Go. The three met in high school in 2004 and released their debut album, Royal School of Hip hop a year later.
The album was produced by fellow rapper Slikour. AKA's album Entity received 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.
AKA | Source: Instagram
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).
Some of AKA's popular songs include Congratulate, Fela in Versace, Run Jozi ft K.O., Baddest, Don't Forget to Pray ft Anatii, Free ft. DJ Tira and Riky Rick and All Eyes on Me ft Burna Boy, Da L.E.S and J.R.
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 with over a million views on YouTube.
AKA was known for his music but he was also a businessman. He was not very successful with Beam Group, his music production company as it closed in 2018 after one year of operation.
AKA was the owner of Cuba Lounge BLK which he bought out in 2020. The venue is considered to be one of the best entertainment joints in South Africa.
He also had his clothing label named Bhovamania
AKA was also venturing into the alcohol business as he announced plans to become a brand owner after a lengthy partnership with Cruz VODKA.
AKA is in love again. The lucky woman is the South African-Zimbabwean singer and television reality star Nadia Nakai.
AKA Girlfriend | Source: Instagram
The two went public with their relationship in late 2021 after an exchange of lovey-dovey emojis on their Instagram pages.
Since that time, they've left Mzansi jealous with their PDA. Despite all the love, the two have also made it into the news for all the wrong reasons.
Their trip to Ghana was shrouded with allegations of verbal and physical abuse but the two refuted the claims and insisted that they were in the same country but had different engagements.
One of the most drama-filled relationships in Mzansi's history was that of DJ Zinhle and AKA. Their interaction began on Instagram and after they met at a gig in Botswana in 2012, things escalated.
The two 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 because 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.
AKA & Bonang | Source: Facebook
"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 Real Talk.
Bonang and AKA | Source: News24
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 an R100,000 reward to anyone who could produce evidence of their alleged make-out session.
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 called it quits again in 2020.
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.
AKA and Anele Tembe | Source: Instagram
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 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.
After Anele Tembe’s funeral, AKA had to deal with the aftermath of his fiancée's death. Anele's father, Moses Tembe, claimed that his daughter didn't die by suicide because it was unlike her to consider such a solution.
Part of the media seemingly pointed the accusing finger at AKA.
AKA's Daughter | Source: Instagram
DJ Zinhle and AKA have a daughter named Kairo Forbes. In 2021, AKA went on a Twitter rampage and 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."
AKA's Daughter | Source: Instagram
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 but 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." he tweeted.
AKA's and Cassper Nyovest's feud did not get old for anyone in Mzansi. In late 2020, AKA challenged his rival to a boxing match to settle their feud.
Since then, the two of them had 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 the derogatory word for a homosexual man in South Africa. Although AKA did eventually apologize, this feud is far from over.
In March, Cassper Nyovest threw the ball to AKA's court and asked him to finally set a date for their much-talked-about fight. In his words, he is tired of the verbal back and forth and wants to settle things in the ring once and for all.
Who do you think will win?
AKA's car collection was a sight to behold. He was a big fan of BMW and owned a blue BMW X6M, a BMW X6 M and a Volkswagen Scirocco.
AKA's Cars | Source: Instagram
AKA's Cars | Source: Instagram
AKA's Cars | Source: Instagram
AKA's House | Sources: Instagram
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.
Inside AKA's House | Source: Instagram 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.
Inside AKA's House | Source: Instagram
Some of AKA's Instagram videos feature tour videos of the home, showing off the pool and modern luxury décor.
At the time of his untimely passing, AKA was one of South Africa's highest-paid artists with an estimated net worth of $12 million or R175 million.
He reportedly charged over R100,000 for every gig and his albums and singles reached multi-platinum statuses.
AKA also worked with music heavyweights such as Kanye West and Snoop Dog so it's not surprising that his rate card and thus his net worth was on the higher side.
AKA had 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
AKA's Twitter: @AKAWorldWide
AKA's Instagram: @AKAWorldwide
AKA speaks English and being South African, he speaks the country’s most common tongue which is Zulu.
AKA was estimated to be worth $12 million or R175 million owing to his multi-platinum selling music and albums as well as the high rates he charged per performance.
AKA was 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!
AKA whose real name was Kiernan Jarryd Forbes was born on 28 January 1988 in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
AKA’s parents are Lynne Forbes (mother) and Tony Forbes (father). His mother was a teacher and his father worked for an insurance company.
AKA's Mother | Source: Instagram
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 but that never came to be as he still goes by the name AKA.
“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 explained that he chose the name AKA because of the many roles he played. He was a producer, songwriter, performer and music producer.
AKA died on the 10 February 2023.
The rapper and his long-time friend and associate Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane were fatally gunned down outside a night club in Durban, in what is believed to have been an assassination.
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's Career | Source: Instagram
AKA was one of South Africa's biggest hip-hop artists of all time. The musician began his rap career as a teenager and his journey in the entertainment industry evolved tremendously.
AKA went on to become an international sensation and platinum-selling musician with many awards under his belt.
AKA started bis career as part of a hip hop group called Entity which also included Vice Versa & Greyhound.
AKA's Career | Source: Instagram
Their hit singles include First Gear and Touch & Go. The three met in high school in 2004 and released their debut album, Royal School of Hip hop a year later.
The album was produced by fellow rapper Slikour. AKA's album Entity received 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.
AKA | Source: Instagram
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).
Some of AKA's popular songs include Congratulate, Fela in Versace, Run Jozi ft K.O., Baddest, Don't Forget to Pray ft Anatii, Free ft. DJ Tira and Riky Rick and All Eyes on Me ft Burna Boy, Da L.E.S and J.R.
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 with over a million views on YouTube.
AKA was known for his music but he was also a businessman. He was not very successful with Beam Group, his music production company as it closed in 2018 after one year of operation.
AKA was the owner of Cuba Lounge BLK which he bought out in 2020. The venue is considered to be one of the best entertainment joints in South Africa.
He also had his clothing label named Bhovamania
AKA was also venturing into the alcohol business as he announced plans to become a brand owner after a lengthy partnership with Cruz VODKA.
AKA is in love again. The lucky woman is the South African-Zimbabwean singer and television reality star Nadia Nakai.
AKA Girlfriend | Source: Instagram
The two went public with their relationship in late 2021 after an exchange of lovey-dovey emojis on their Instagram pages.
Since that time, they've left Mzansi jealous with their PDA. Despite all the love, the two have also made it into the news for all the wrong reasons.
Their trip to Ghana was shrouded with allegations of verbal and physical abuse but the two refuted the claims and insisted that they were in the same country but had different engagements.
One of the most drama-filled relationships in Mzansi's history was that of DJ Zinhle and AKA. Their interaction began on Instagram and after they met at a gig in Botswana in 2012, things escalated.
The two 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 because 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.
AKA & Bonang | Source: Facebook
"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 Real Talk.
Bonang and AKA | Source: News24
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 an R100,000 reward to anyone who could produce evidence of their alleged make-out session.
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 called it quits again in 2020.
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.
AKA and Anele Tembe | Source: Instagram
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 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.
After Anele Tembe’s funeral, AKA had to deal with the aftermath of his fiancée's death. Anele's father, Moses Tembe, claimed that his daughter didn't die by suicide because it was unlike her to consider such a solution.
Part of the media seemingly pointed the accusing finger at AKA.
AKA's Daughter | Source: Instagram
DJ Zinhle and AKA have a daughter named Kairo Forbes. In 2021, AKA went on a Twitter rampage and 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."
AKA's Daughter | Source: Instagram
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 but 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." he tweeted.
AKA's and Cassper Nyovest's feud did not get old for anyone in Mzansi. In late 2020, AKA challenged his rival to a boxing match to settle their feud.
Since then, the two of them had 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 the derogatory word for a homosexual man in South Africa. Although AKA did eventually apologize, this feud is far from over.
In March, Cassper Nyovest threw the ball to AKA's court and asked him to finally set a date for their much-talked-about fight. In his words, he is tired of the verbal back and forth and wants to settle things in the ring once and for all.
Who do you think will win?
AKA's car collection was a sight to behold. He was a big fan of BMW and owned a blue BMW X6M, a BMW X6 M and a Volkswagen Scirocco.
AKA's Cars | Source: Instagram
AKA's Cars | Source: Instagram
AKA's Cars | Source: Instagram
AKA's House | Sources: Instagram
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.
Inside AKA's House | Source: Instagram 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.
Inside AKA's House | Source: Instagram
Some of AKA's Instagram videos feature tour videos of the home, showing off the pool and modern luxury décor.
At the time of his untimely passing, AKA was one of South Africa's highest-paid artists with an estimated net worth of $12 million or R175 million.
He reportedly charged over R100,000 for every gig and his albums and singles reached multi-platinum statuses.
AKA also worked with music heavyweights such as Kanye West and Snoop Dog so it's not surprising that his rate card and thus his net worth was on the higher side.
AKA had 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
AKA's Twitter: @AKAWorldWide
AKA's Instagram: @AKAWorldwide
AKA speaks English and being South African, he speaks the country’s most common tongue which is Zulu.
AKA was estimated to be worth $12 million or R175 million owing to his multi-platinum selling music and albums as well as the high rates he charged per performance.
