AKA is undoubtedly one of the biggest hip hop artists in South Africa. The platinum-selling musician has won several awards but his rise to fame has come with a lot of good and bad attention, a lot of haters and a lot of ladies.
Here's AKA's biography and his journey in the entertainment industry.
Like any other celebrity in this industry, AKA has not had the best of relationships with many celebrities and at most times the rapper is unapologetic for what he says. However, when he apologizes, fans at most likely, do not think his apology is genuine.
Here's a look at the rapper's biography.
AKA Fight With Nelli Tembe
From the candle lit dinners to the Gucci bags, AKA has shown nothing but love for Nelli. However, just like all relationships, there are always ups and downs. Apparently, Nelli and AKA had a heated argument over alleged cheating rumours that landed them both in prison.
The policemen on the scene say they found the two going at it with Nelli eventually claiming she was tired of him and was moving out.
“When the police got to the house, they were still fighting and her bags were packed. She told the police that she was tired of his behaviour and was leaving [him]. She told them that she was going to book herself into a hotel and stay there before going [back] home,”.
However it seems all was forgiven as the two were reportedly back in each other's arms soon after.Nelli took to her Instagram and posted a picture of the two of them love up with the caption "he is for keeps". AKA replied to it with "l love you".
It was a normal day in Mzansi, but not up until AKA said something on Twitter and Sizwe Dlomo did not take kind to it.
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Sizwe Dhlomo made it very clear to AKA that he will "f**k" him up for free, there isn't any need for a contract. This is after Super Mega, seemingly sub-tweeted Sizwe Dhlomo.
AKA seems to have had a changed of heart and he issued out an apology to all those offended by his tweets from last week.
"After educating myself properly about the sacrifices made by Sizwe’s grandfather and others close to him, I realize how reckless and stupid that was," tweeted the rapper.
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Some people commended the rapper for his apology, whilst some pointed out that this was a classic move from the rapper to do something wrong and then apologize. AKA even mentioned that he had ironed out issues with Sizwe Dlomo, but Sizwe Dlomo did not respond to anything.
Mzansi was excited that Reebok, of all brands, decided AKA would be their ambassador and also delivered a dope SneAKA on top of it. Reebok is a brand that makes sneakers and has quite huge market in South Africa.
However, it seems a lot has been happening behind the scenes that the public has not been aware of and the recent news about AKA's not being renewed were a shocker.
However, Reebok said in a statement issued out to IOL Entertainment that they satisfied all obligations that were stipulated in the contract. Apparently everything was made clear to the rapper and he was compensated. Although they expressed their disappointment, they are still looking to work with the rapper in future, however fans are not sure if Supa Mega is keen on that.
AKA & The M-Word
It's no secret that AKA and Cassper Nyovest are not the best of friends and niether one of them, makes a point to hide it. But fans felt that the SupaMega took their beef a step too far.
And when you thought the two of them couldn't get any more petty- AKA called Cassper out his name by calling the derogatory word for a homosexual man in South Africa.
All fans and followers of the beef between AKA and Cassper have reacted to the insult which got AKA to apologize about using the word via Twitter.
In a video that was making the rounds earlier this month on social media, AKA can be seen diving into the crowd - only to receive quite a lukewarm reception, as some members of the crowd just looked at him land on the ground- ouch!
Now that we think about it, AKA has never been the type to be single for too long but it came as a shock to most fans when AKA admitted he had been single since 2019. Making us question the timeline of his relationship with DJ Zinhle.
But on AKA's 32nd birthday, the rapper posted a pic on Instagram of a mysterious girl who many assumed to be the new bae. The public would soon find out that this mysterious girl, Nelli was the girl AKA had been spotted with, in a video, making out.
AKA was born on January 28, 1988, in Cape Town, Western Cape. He is 32 years old.
He celebrated his 31st birthday in 2019 by dropping the video for his hit song, Jika ft. Yanga Chief. The video was watched more than 100 000 times within 24 hours of its release. It has been viewed over three million times since then.
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AKA Real Name
AKA’s real name is Kiernan Jarryd Forbes. He told SA Hip Hop magazine in 2016 that he chose his stage name because he is a jack of all trades. “I'm a producer a.k.a songwriter a.k.a performer and so on and so on,” he said.
The rapper revealed in 2019 that he was considering changing his stage name. One of the top contenders for his new moniker was King Forbes.
“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 🇬🇧🇺🇸 ... PLUS my dad named me “KIERNAN” after an [Italian] rugby player,” he tweeted.
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He still goes by the name AKA. His fans also call him Supa Mega.
AKA and DJ Zinhle
AKA’s romance with DJ Zinhle was one of the most drama-filled relationships in Mzansi history. The couple met in Botswana in 2012. They had previously chatted on Instagram and sparks flew when they bumped into each other at a gig.
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DJ Zinhle confirmed in February 2015 that she was expecting their first child together. She gave birth in July that year. Two months after welcoming their daughter into the world, Zinhle revealed in a shocking post that she was no longer with AKA after finding out he cheated on her with Bonang Matheba. Zinhle claimed the affair began while she was pregnant.
AKA and Bonang
The start of AKA and Bonang Matheba’s relationship was controversial. Their romance started as a love triangle. DJ Zinhle put them on blast but both denied the cheating rumours at first. Bonang even went as far as threatening to take legal action against DJ Zinhle for claiming they had an affair. The cheating rumours turned out to be true, with AKA confessing in 2018 that what they did to Zinhle was wrong.
“The start of my relationship (with Bonang) was painful because at the time I was in a relationship with my baby mama. And she was pregnant — what we put her through was wrong. And I’ve apologised for that. And I’m sorry for that. And maybe she (Bonang) will apologise for it one day as well,” he told Anele Mdoda on Real Talk.
AKA and Bonang dated from 2015 until late 2017.
AKA and Bonang Matheba/ Instagram
AKA was accused of cheating on Bonang Matheba during their two-year relationship. In September 2017, a tabloid claimed the rapper was seen getting cosy with a woman named Nicole Nyaba at the Hard Rock Cafe in Sandton. They both denied the rumours, with AKA offering a reward to 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 companies event? IN PUBLIC??? Are you stupid?!” he wrote in two separate tweets on September 24. The posts have since been deleted.
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AKA and Nicole Nyaba
Rumours about AKA and Nicole Nyaba’s alleged romance continued long after the rapper broke up with Bonang. Nicole is a video vixen and has been spotted at several music industry events in the past. She shared pictures in July 2018 that showed her sitting in a house that looked a lot like AKA’s Bryanston mansion. Nicole played coy at first but revealed all about their relationship. She described AKA as an “amazing boyfriend” in a 2018 interview.
Nicole claimed they were living together at one point. They allegedly parted ways after having a big fight during the Durban July weekend. AKA was spotted with his ex-girlfriend DJ Zinhle shortly after.
Despite the drama, AKA and Zinhle did rekindle their romance in 2018 and the affair didn't last more than a year, where the two called it quits again.
AKA Career
AKA grew up in Mitchell’s Plain with his grandmother. He attended Holy Cross Convent primary school. In 1995, he moved to Johannesburg to live with his mother, Lynne Forbes, who worked as a teacher. His father worked for an insurance company. While in Johannesburg, AKA attended Greenside Primary School and St. John’s College.
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AKA started rapping when he was a teenager. He was part of a hip-hop group called Entity. Vice Versa & Greyhound were also part of the group. Entity’s hit singles include First Gear and Touch & Go.
The trio met in high school in 2004. They released their debut album, Royal School of Hip hop, in 2005. The album was produced by fellow rapper Slikour. Entity received a nomination at the 2005 KORA Awards in the ‘Best African Hip Hop’ category.
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Entity called it quits in 2006. AKA went on study sound engineering. He later formed a production company with Buks and Kamza called The Ivy League.
AKA got his first big break as a solo artist in 2009 when he released Do It, Problems and In My Walk.
His debut album, Altar Ego (2011) helped cement his place as one of the "baddest" rappers in SA. The album won ‘Best Newcomer’, ‘Best Hip Hop’ and’ Best Produced Album’ at the Metro FM Music Awards. As of October 2019, AKA has released three other albums - Levels (2014), Be Careful What You Wish For with Anati (2017) and Touch My Blood (2018).
AKA has made a lot of noise in the industry and not just because of his music. He has had beefs with Cassper Nyovest and Anatii (they have since made up). AKA addressed his beefs in a series of tweets on Twitter in 2019.
“People cry about unity in SA Hip Hop but it’s all bulls**t ... they THRIVE off negativity. They LOVE it,” he wrote.
AKA and Pearl Thusi at his Comedy Central Roast.
AKA has released several hits including Run Jozi ft K.O, Congratulate, Baddest, Fela in Versace and Don’t Forget to Pray featuring Anatii. AKA collaborated with Nigerian superstar Burna Boy on the smash hit, All Eyes On Me. Da L.E.S and JR also featured on the song.
In September 2019, Riky Rick shared a snippet of his latest song with AKA. The track was produced by DJ Tira.
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AKA also shared snippets of his latest songs on Twitter. The tracks are expected to feature in his next album. AKA described his upcoming offering as “fire”.
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It’s unclear when the album will drop but his fans can expect “1 billion features”.
“Of course I’m gonna get my OGs and favs on the album. But I wanna get Emtee, Nasty, Shane, Flame, Hash, Ason, Willy Cardiac, Reece, Babyface Dean, J Molly, etc. Sorry if I left out a few names as well,” he tweeted.
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In 2020, AKA kept proving that he's the rapper he say he is and he did this by giving fans the highly anticipated album, Bhovamania. With a tracklist of 13 songs on BHOVAMANIAthe songs are; and intro, Casino, Heavy Drank, Python, My Heart, Finesse, Holy Water, Energy, Monuments, African Man, Startin’ Now and AKA.
One song in particular that grabbed the attention of the public was Mufasa, which is suspected to reference his arch-enemy.
AKA Awards
AKA took home the ‘Best Male Artist’ award at the 2012 South African Music Awards (SAMAs) and ‘Best Male Southern Africa’ at the 2014 African Muzik Magazine Awards.
The rapper has also received nominations at the MTV Europe Music Awards and the BET Awards.
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In 2019, AKA became the fourth South African to feature on a Comedy Central Roast. 'Sushi King' Kenny Kunene, Steve Hofmeyr and Somizi Mhlongo have also been "roasted".
2012- Best Male Artist at the SAMAs 2014 - Best Male in Southern Africa at the African Muzik Magazine Awards 2019 - Favourite SA Star at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards
AKA Daughter
AKA has a daughter named Kairo Owethu Forbes with his on-again girlfriend DJ Zinhle. She was born on July 8, 2015. AKA and Kairo appeared on the cover of Hype magazine in 2017. It was Kairo’s first magazine cover. The tot is just as famous as her parents. Kairo has her own Instagram page with more than 680 000 followers.
During an interview on Metro FM in 2018, AKA talked about how fatherhood changed him.
“I am loving fatherhood. It is the greatest thing that has happened to me. I am so chilled. I am so patient. I count my words now. I am not as angry as I used to be,” he said.
AKA has an impressive car collection. He currently drives a BMW i8 eDrive coupe worth over R1.3 million. He is a big fan of the brand and also owns a BMW X6M.
AKA’s exact net worth is unknown but he is believed to be worth millions. A 2018 report claimed AKA’s net worth is around R155 million. The rapper rubbished the claims in a tweet.
“155m … where do you guys get this info,” AKA tweeted. He added that he wished he had that kind of money.
AKA’s net worth was R6.6 million in 2015.
The rapper has made a lot of money from his multi-platinum selling singles and album sales. He reportedly charges over R100 000 per performance.
AKA signed a seven-figure deal with Reebok in 2017. He is also a Cruz Vodka ambassador and has his own watermelon flavour.
AKA started his own media company, Beam Group, in 2017. The business has since closed its doors.
