Kiernan Jarryd Forbes AKA Biography

Rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur Kiernan Jarryd Forbes (28 January 1988 – 10 February 2023)[3] was a native of South Africa. He was also a businessman. Forbes, who was reared in Johannesburg and was born in Cape Town, rose to fame after releasing the single “Victory Lap” from his 2011 debut studio album, Altar Ego. He was the best-selling South African hip-hop artist of all time and one of the most well-known musicians of his generation.

With the release of studio albums such as Levels (2014), Touch My Blood (2018), Be Careful What You Wish For (2017), and his final album, Mass Country (2023), Forbes maintained his success.

Forbes made an appearance on WWE Live in April 2018 as a special guest. The events took place in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Forbes was shot and killed on February 10, 2023, outside of a Durban restaurant.

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Net worth

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Early Life and Career

1988–2013: Early life, beginnings and Alter Ego

Born on January 28, 1988, in Cape Town, South Africa, Kiernan Jarryd Forbes was raised in a Christian home. He is Steffan Forbes’ elder brother and the oldest of two sons. At an early age, he relocated to Johannesburg, where he attended St John’s College. Forbes founded the hip-hop group Entity in 2002 with his two pals, Vice Versa and Greyhound Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh. The trio was nominated in the Best African Hip Hop category for a KORA Award.

After the group broke up in 2006, Forbes continued his studies in sound engineering. Forbes and two other individuals co-founded The I.V League, a production collective, in 2006. Production credits went to the I.V League for several performers, including JR, ProKid, and Khuli Chana. He put out three singles in 2009: “My Mistakes Killed Me,” “In My Walk,” and “I Do.”

Forbes released “I Want It All,” the lead single from his first studio album, Altar Ego, on July 28, 2010. Two songs from the album, “All I Know” and “Victory Lap,” were also released ahead of schedule. “Victory Lap” achieved popularity when it reached the top of local radio charts in South Africa. August 23, 2011, was the release date of Alter Ego. Due to the album’s commercial success, RiSA certified it gold. Numerous awards were given to the album, including the Best Hip Hop Album Metro FM Award in 2011. Forbes was the 2012 South African Music Awards’ Best Male Artist of the Year winner.

2014–2017: Levels and Be Careful What You Wish For

On June 30, 2014, Forbes’s second album, Levels, was released. Four singles—”Jealousy,” “Kontrol” (with Da L.E.S.), “Congratulate,” and “Run Jozi (Godly),” featuring KO and Yanga—supported the album. The album received two platinum certifications from RiSA in 2014 and 2018. Forbes now holds the rare distinction of being the first rapper from South Africa to achieve platinum status with an album primarily recorded in English thanks to this release.

Forbes’ debut song from his third studio album, “The World is Yours,” was made available on December 2, 2016. Forbes wrote the album Be Careful What You Wish For with affiliated act Anatii while the record was delayed in its release. On July 28, 2017, the album was released, and reviewers gave it excellent reviews. Three singles, “10 Fingers,” “Don’t Forget To Pray,” and “Holy Mountain,” served as its backing tracks.

2018–2019: Touch My Blood

In addition to releasing “The World is Yours” ahead of time in 2016, Forbes also made other songs available ahead of time, such as “Caiphus Song,” “Star Signs” (with Stogie T), and “Sweet Fire,” to promote the release of his third album, Touch My Blood. Regarding the album’s front cover, Forbes used Twitter to post a competition for graphic artists to create an album artwork with his unmistakable face image. After receiving a large number of entries, Forbes selected Taonga as the winner, who will now be receiving an internship with Beam Group. He released the controversial record “Beyonce” fifteen days before its release. The song was a disrespectful tribute to his former partner Bonang Matheba.

Touch My Blood was first scheduled for release on May 25, 2018, but it was postponed because it needed more time to develop its promotion. Ultimately, it was released on June 15, 2018. RiSA certified the album as double platinum for 2019 after first certifying it as platinum. Compared to the preceding singles, Touch My Blood’s sixth single, “Fela in Versace,” featuring Kiddominant, had greater commercial success. Along with Nigerian musician and producer Kiddominant, the album includes guest appearances by fellow South African artists L-Tido, JR, Yanga Chief, Stogie T, Kwesta, and Okmalumkoolkat.

Forbes appeared in a WWE live event in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 8, 2018. He was the featured roastee in Comedy Central SA’s annual roast special in February 2019.

Forbes and the vodka company Cruz released a watermelon-flavored beverage in April 2020 that included his initials on the bottles.

2020–2023: Bhovamania, Mass Country

The release of AKA’s Extended Play Bhovamania took place on November 6, 2021. The four singles “Energy,” “Python,” “Monuments,” and “Cross My Heart” served as the EP’s backbone. His nomination for Artist of the Decade was announced at the tenth South African Hip Hop Awards presentation.

Plans for AKA’s fourth studio album, Mass Country, were revealed on Instagram at the beginning of September 2022. “Lemons (Lemonade),” featuring Nasty C, was the lead single from the album and was released on September 16, 2022. The Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) recognized the song as 4× Platinum.

On February 24, 2023, the album was made available. South Africa saw it go platinum.

Sony Africa revealed in July 2023 that the Mass Country Deluxe edition would be launched at a later date. in just two weeks, the mass country is certified as gold.

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Personal life

Forbes started dating DJ Zinhle, a producer, at the end of 2014. Following multiple honors from the South African Hip Hop Awards, Zinhle tweeted, “Congratulations to my winner,” which seemed to allude to their relationship. 2015 saw the birth of the couple’s daughter, Kairo Owethu Forbes. After it became known that Forbes had cheated on Zinhle with TV host Bonang Matheba, the two parted ways in August 2015. In 2016, Forbes and Matheba announced their romance while refuting the accusations. In December 2017, Forbes and Matheba called it quits. Forbes and Zinhle did, however, reconcile in late 2018 before splitting up once more in 2019.

Forbes announced his engagement to Nelli Tembe on Instagram on February 21, 2021, with a picture. Tembe passed away on April 11, 2021, following a fall from a Cape Town hotel.

After Tembe passed away, rumors about Forbes’ drug use surfaced. In response, he made a public statement declaring that he would not be persuaded to reveal their marital problems to protect himself from “one-sided views”. The rapper made his comments in response to a News24 story that said to have witnessed footage of Forbes savagely smashing through a wooden door to get into the bedroom of their Bryanston, Johannesburg, residence, where Tembe was hiding. Nearly a month before she passed away, on March 13, 2021, the incident is said to have occurred.

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Death

As part of his birthday celebrations, AKA was set to perform in Durban’s Yugo nightclub on February 10, 2023. That evening, about ten o’clock at night, Forbes and his companions, among them Tebello Motsoane, were standing outside Wish, a restaurant on Florida Road when a gunman approached them, shot Forbes in the head, and then killed Motsoane with further gunfire from his accomplice, who was waiting by Forbes’ car.

After that, the two gunmen ran away from the site. At the scene, Forbes and Motsoane were declared deceased.

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Musical Accomplishments

AKA has released a total of seven studio albums, including “Altiora” (2011), “Levels” (2014), “Touch My Blood” (2018), and “Bhovamania” (2021).

Some of his most popular songs include “All Eyes on Me“, “Dreamwork”, “Jika”, and “StarSigns“. He has won numerous awards, including several South African Hip Hop Awards, Channel O Music Video Awards, and South African Music Awards.

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Philanthropy

In addition to his music career, AKA is also known for his philanthropic efforts. He is a strong advocate for education and has made significant contributions to support education initiatives in South Africa.

In 2016, AKA established the Kiernan Forbes Foundation, which aims to provide education and support to underprivileged children in South Africa.

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Social Media

AKA, one of the most well-known South African celebrities, has a sizable social media following. At present, he has more than 3 million Instagram followers and more than 5 million Twitter followers.

• Instagram handle – @akaworldwide
• Twitter handle – @akaworldwide

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Marital Life

At the time of his passing, he was not married, but he had several high-profile relationships throughout his career. In 2014, he started dating DJ Zinhle and the couple had a daughter named Kairo Olwethu Forbes in 2015.

However, their relationship was short-lived due to allegations of infidelity by Forbes towards Zinhle with television presenter Bonang Matheba.

In 2016, the rapper and Matheba went public with their relationship, but they eventually ended their partnership in 2017. AKA and Zinhle rekindled their romance in 2018, but they separated once again the following year.

In 2021, AKA announced his engagement to his girlfriend Nelli Tembe, but she tragically passed away after a fall from a hotel in Cape Town.

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Discography

Studio albums

• Altar Ego
• Levels
• Touch My Blood

Collaborative albums

• Be Careful What You Wish For (with Anatii)

Extended Plays

• Bhovamania

Kiernan Jarryd AKA Awards and nominations

• South African Music Awards
• Channel O Africa Music Video Awards
• African Muzik Magazine Awards
• MTV Africa Music Awards
• African Muzik Magazine Awards
• Kora Awards
• BET Awards
• MTV Europe Music Awards
• M.O.B.O. Awards
• Metro FM Music Awards
• 2019 Kids’ Choice Awards
• Namibia Annual Music Awards

Conclusion About AKA

AKA is a true icon of South African music and continues to inspire and influence musicians around the world.

His unique sound, storytelling skills, and thought-provoking lyrics have earned him a place among the greatest South African musicians of all time. With seven successful albums and numerous awards, AKA is sure to remain a dominant force in the South African music industry for years to come.

Last Moment Of AKA Performances

Where is Kiernan Forbes from?

Rapper, record producer, and businessman Kiernan Jarryd Forbes (28 January 1988 – 10 February 2023), better known by his stage as AKA, was from South Africa. Forbes, who was reared in Johannesburg and was born in Cape Town, rose to fame after releasing the single “Victory Lap” from his 2011 debut studio album, Altar Ego.

Where did AKA go to secondary school?

Located in the exclusive Gauteng province of South Africa’s Houghton Estate, St. John’s College is an Anglican day and boarding school. Founded in 1898, the institution consists of five schools: The Bridge Nursery, College, Preparatory, and Pre-Preparatory. Additionally, there is a coeducational Sixth Form.

Which South African rapper was shot?

AKA, a well-known rapper in South Africa, was shot and killed outside of a restaurant in the seaside city of Durban. Both Kiernan Forbes and his close buddy Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, a chef and businessman, perished.