Life and Times of murdered South African rapper, AKA wey dey 'destined for greatness'

Di memorial service of popular South African rapper AKA don start for di Sandton Convention Centre for Johannesburg.

Long queues of pipo don gada to pay dia respects.

One paid hitman bin shoot down di star, wey im real name na Kiernan Forbes one week ago for Durban, for wetin police tok say na targeted killing.

South Africa presidency don deny di request by one provincial goment say make di rapper get state funeral according to local media report.

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi bin write to President Cyril Ramaphosa to request permission to give di slain rapper Kiernan Forbes state funeral.

On Thursday, Oga Lesufi say di president deny im request.

E say im no ask for state funds for di funeral, but make dem drape di coffin wit di national flag and make dem fly di flags at half-mast to honour di rappber.

“We feel say pesin of im international stature, pesin of im national stature, some form of honour must dey, and we wan clarify say no be financial contribution,” dem quote am as e tok.

Public memorial for di rapper dey hold on Friday. Dem go bury am on Saturday.

How AKA take die

On di opening track of im 2011 breakthrough solo album Altar Ego, AKA say im "never plan… im no ever want to be celebrity".

But di South African, wey unknown gun men gun down for Durban one week ago, no hold back im talents.

Few days before im death, wey police believe say na targeted killing, di award-winning 35-year-old rapper anoint himself as di best producer for im genre.

Dis spark huge debate, di artist wey im nickname also na Supa Mega, tweet: "Statistically speaking, since I don produced 90% of all my music, surely I be di greatest SA hip-hop producer of all time."

But already for 2014, on Congratulate, one of di hits wey solidify im megastar status, e say im go dey "shine like a diamond wey dey forever, now congratulate me".

Thousands of fans – wey pipo sabi as "The Megacy" – dey expected to either follow online or turn up for im public memorial on Friday for Johannesburg, to make sure say e go continue to shine.

AKA life and times

Dem born Kiernan Forbes, AKA for Cape Town for 1988.

E be one of di kontri most celebrated hip-hop artists afta e release three solo albums, plus collabo wit oda performers.

Wen e dey very young, e live wit im grandparents for Mitchells Plain, one of Cape Town most dangerous townships, wey dey popular for gangsterism and drug abuse.

E later relocate go Johannesburg wit im mama, wia e attend St John College, one Anglican institution wey describe itself as being "among South Africa pre-eminent schools".

Na for dia im musical career start, e form one hip-hop band wey dem name Entity wit two high-school friends, Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh and Nhlanhla Makena. Dem nominate dem for KORA All Africa Music Award.

"E dey destined for greatness from then," Mpofu-Walsh, wey be writer now plus academic, tok for inside one tribute on Twitter.

Afta di group scata, AKA go on to study sound engineering and later produce hits for artists wey include ProKid and Kuli Chana.

E later work wit di likes of Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy, plus Da L.E.S, Nasty C and Kwesta.

Di large number of musicians, producers, politicians and celebrities wey don pay tribute na testament to pipoo wey e impact.

But in di last five years, scrutiny over im personal life grow, wit news about im relationships and public break-ups make tabloid headlines.

E date popular celebrities wey include DJ Zinhle, dem get one daughter togeda and she be seven years old now.

E also dey get public kwanta wit oda industry colleagues, wey include fellow South African rapper Cassper Nyovest and memorably Burna Boy.

During South Africa xenophobic clashes for 2019, AKA bin start quarrel wit di Nigerian afta di West African artist urge black migrants for South Africa to protect themselves against attacks.

For 2021, scandals wey surround di rapper take dark turn wen im 22-year-old fiancée Anele Tembe die for controversial circumstances, wen she fall from di 10th floor of one Cape Town hotel.

Di popular believe na say she kill herself. But for her funeral, her father, well-known businessman Moses Tembe, tok say im daughter no dey suicidal.

In her honour, AKA release one single Tears Run Dry as a reminder of dia relationship.

"Wen I wake up, I no fit feel sunshine 'cause you no dey by my side," e sing.

But a different side of di musician show later afta di model death, wen videos leak on top social media, show quarrels between di couple, as e break one door during dia fight.

For battle to restore im battered reputation few weeks afta im fiancée death, AKA deny say im no ever dey abusive or violent. For move wey be like vindication for him, South African prosecutors decid say dem no go pursue case against am.

Some of those wey dey close to AKA say Tembe death changed am, including South African recording artist and award-winning DJ Oscar Mdlongwa, popularly known as Oskido.

AKA himself tok say im be changed man.

'Assassinated for broad daylight'

Authorities believe say na paid hitman kill am outside one popular restaurant for Durban on Friday evening.

On CCTV footage, e show one man wey wear white sweater and hat cross di road and dey waka towards AKA, e then fire two shots to di rapper head, and e die instantly. E kill AKA along wit im long-time friend Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane.

"From wetin we know and wey we don see, na hit, AKA dey assassinated for broad daylight," Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula wey visit di family on Sunday tok.

"We need to get to di bottom of why dis happun, because AKA no be drug lord, na musician e be, why e deserve to die like that?" he ask.

Di police neva make any arrests or suggest a possible motive.

For dat opening track of im solo debut album, AKA ask: "Wetin go happun to just a normal dude wey get extraordinary talent?"

Twelve years later, dat question don get tragic answer.