PitRadar: Zoom In To The Life And Legacy Of Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes

PitRadar: Zoom In To The Life And Legacy Of Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes

Kiernan, nicknamed 'AKA,' was probably one of the most accomplished and divisive individuals in South African fame and entertainment culture.

Early Life

His early years were spent in the care of his grandmother in Mitchell's Plain, Cape Town, Western Cape, as the first child of Tony and Lynn Forbes. When he moved to the vibrant city of Johannesburg in the middle of the 1990s to live with his mother, he first started attending Holy Cross Convent before transferring to Greenside Primary School. His high school education was completed at the esteemed St Johns's College, a private, all-boys institution located in the affluent Johannesburg neighborhood of Houghton Estate. 

Former UJ Vice Chancellor and Principal Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala, author Dr. Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, former soccer player Kaizer Motaung Jr., presenter "Maps" Maponyane, anti-apartheid activist and member of the African Resistance Movement the late Hugh Levin, and disgraced former apartheid-era spy Craig Williamson are just a few examples of the school's former graduates.

Career

Along with Mpofu-Walsh and Nhlanhla Makenna, he founded the musical group "Entity" while a student at St. John's. The group had six original members when it began, but soon reduced to three. According to Forbes, they went by the stage names "AKA," "Vice Versa," and "Greyhound" (Makenna). Each performer explained the meaning behind their stage names. For Mpofu-Walsh, it has two layers: first, it's a pun on verse writing in the hip-hop tradition and second, it's because his mom is white and his dad is black, allowing him to see life from both sides of the (racial) spectrum. Forbes claimed that his comes from him being a different person to all the different people in his life. He argues that Makenna's tendency to move quickly is due to her having large ears and a petite frame as a child.

The trio went on to release their sole studio album, Royal School of Hip Hop, in 2005. It's important to note that the group's grade level was eleven. Siya "Slikour" Metane, a former member of Skwatta Kamp, produced the album, which was independently published on Creative Kingdom Records. The single "Touch And Go," which was featured heavily on radio and Channel O, contributed to the album's positive reception. They managed to play at the now-defunct KORA Awards ceremony and were nominated in the Best Hip Hop Album category. Sadly, the group split up following their matriculation in 2006. Mpofu-Walsh claims that although a second album was recorded, it was never distributed. 

After Entity ended, Forbes went to study sound engineering. He met Ntokozo "Buks" Mazibuko and Kamohelo "Kamza" Mbatha while pursuing his education, and the three of them went on to create the production team "IV League." The three of them would significantly alter the direction of South African hip-hop music and create numerous hits, including "Tswakstikem" by Khuli Chana, "Tla K'o Bone" by Reason, "Monate So" by Shugasmakx, "Victory Lap" by AKA (and the entirety of his debut album Altar Ego), and "Bhampa" by Pro, among others. Forbes left the team after this winning streak and joined Vth (pronounced fifth) Season. His collaboration with the independent label would bring him the greatest run of success, a host of accolades from over the world, and the distinction of being the only rapper to have a record reach platinum without any vernac on it.

Love Life 

As much as he was well-known for his musical abilities, he was equally well-known for his love affairs. His sole child, daughter Kairo Owethu Forbes, was born on July 8, 2015, and was the result of his first meaningful relationship with renowned DJ Zinhle Jiyane. After that, he quickly fell in love with Bonang Matheba, a famous media personality and winemaker. Allegations of the use of muti were slung around as the relationship ended, and it was widely covered in the media and public. He later started dating the late Anele Tembe, to whom he became engaged in February 2021. Sadly, Tembe would perish by plunging from the tenth storey of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town, appearing to commit suicide. Videos of the argument between the two were widely shared on social media, and Forbes was accused of abuse. He was exonerated by the police of any wrongdoing in Tembe's tragic passing. In 2022, he started dating the rapper Nadia Nakai.

Business Ventures 

He dabbled in a few commercial endeavors, such as the disastrous BEAM Group, through which he published his third album, the double platinum "Touch My Blood." The renowned company Reebok then offered him a unique sneaker deal. The SneAKA partnership was favorably appreciated, and the run of limited editions was quickly sold out. Then he won a liquor-related project with Cruz Vodka, a New York-based company. The agreement gave him the freedom to create his own distinctive flavors, including the perennially popular Watermelon edition and the Banana edition.

Final Hours 

Forbes was shot and killed by two unidentified assailants as he prepared to play at Yugo, a well-known nightclub in Durban. He was hit six times and passed away at the scene, along with his former manager Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane. In addition to his parents, younger brother Steffan, daughter Kairo, and fiancée Nakai, Forbes is also survived by his parents. 

Get songs from the slain musical legend, AKA on our "Love And Other Drugs" playlist.  The playlist is curated with a mixture of mainstream hits and underground talent for your listening pleasure.