South African rapper Kiernan Forbes, known professionally as AKA, has been killed in Durban, South Africa. He was 35. News24 confirmed with local police that a 'well-known rapper', believed to be AKA, was fatally shot outside a popular night spot on Durban's Florida Road.
According to a first responder at the scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, AKA was shot while standing on the pavement when gunfire rang out shortly after 22:00, reports aceshowbiz.com.
"I can confirm that two men were killed and one of them is a well-known rapper. Police will not be releasing any names of the victims yet until a full investigation is completed," KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda told the outlet.
ALS Paramedics spokesman Garrith Jamieson said both men sustained gunshot wounds and despite efforts to resuscitate one of them, he succumbed to his injuries.
Meanwhile, tributes have poured in on his Instagram page. "Please continue to protect your family. Thank you brother," one person penned on his last post.
Another wrote: "May heaven welcome you with opens arms, I am sorry & rest in eternal peace!" According to reports, AKA was slated to perform in Durban on Friday.
He was due to release a new album, 'Mass Country', on February 27. He was promoting his forthcoming album with his last Instagram post, showing him working in the studio and posing in a photo shoot.
His tragic passing comes more than a year after he lost his fiancee Nelli Tembe, who fell to her death from her hotel room in an Cape Town hotel in April 2021.
The rapper, best known for his single 'Victory Lap', had a daughter named Kairo Olwethu Forbes, born in 2015, with his ex DJ Zinhle.