About

Not only is AKA 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!

Personal Life

What Is AKA’s Real Name?

AKA whose real name is 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.

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 plays. He is a producer, songwriter, performer and music producer.

When Is AKA’s Birthday?

AKA celebrates his birthday on 28 January 1988 and is currently 34 years old. A memorable moment was when the star celebrated his 31st birthday in 2019.

He dropped the video for his hit song Jika ft. Yanga Chief. The song was an instant hit as it received more than 100,000 views and in excess of five million since then.

AKA’s Schooling

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

AKA is one of South Africa’s biggest hip-hop artists of all time. However, despite several awards under his belt, this platinum-selling musician hasn’t just been in the news for his music.

Fame accompanies a lot of drama, haters and ladies. Whenever AKA is in the news, more often than not it’s juicy and riddled with controversy.

Nonetheless, AKA’s journey in the entertainment industry has been very eventful. Here’s how his career has evolved.

AKA started rapping when he was a teenager. He was part of a hip hop group called Entity which also included Vice Versa & Greyhound.

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.

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.

What Is The Latest Album From AKA?

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’s Business

AKA is known for his music but he is 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 is 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 has his clothing label named Bhovamania

AKA is also venturing into the alcohol business as he announced plans to become a brand owner after a lengthy partnership with Cruz VODKA.

AKA’s Relationships

Who is AKA Dating?

AKA is in love again. The lucky woman is the South African-Zimbabwean singer and television reality star Nadia Nakai.

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.

AKA’s Previous Girlfriends

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.

How Long Did AKA And Bonang Date?

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.

“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.

Did AKA Cheat on Bonang Too?

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.

Was AKA In A Relationship With Nellie Tembe?

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.

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 Family 

Does AKA have any kids?

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.”

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 Controversy

What is the AKA and Cassper Nyovest story?

AKA’s and Cassper Nyovest’s feud doesn’t 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 have 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

AKA’s car collection is a sight to behold. The rapper currently drives a white BMW i8 eDrive coupe worth over R1.3 million. He is a big fan of the brand and also owns a blue BMW X6M, a BMW X6 M and a Volkswagen Scirocco.

What Does The New AKA’s House Look Like?

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.

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.

Some of AKA’s Instagram videos feature tour videos of the home, showing off the pool and modern luxury décor.

AKA’s Net Worth

It’s safe to say that AKA is one of South Africa’s highest-paid artists with an estimated net worth of $12 million or R175 million.

He reportedly charges over R100,000 for every gig he does and his albums and singles are multi-platinum statuses.

AKA has 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 is on the higher side.

Awards & Recognition

AKA has 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

Social Media

AKA’s Twitter: @AKAWorldWide

AKA’s Instagram: @AKAWorldwide

Q&A

What language does AKA speak?

AKA speaks English and being South African, he speaks the country’s most common tongue which is Zulu.

How much is AKA worth?

AKA is currently 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 charges per performance.

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