The post How SA Hip‑Hop Lost Its Soul When AKA Died appeared first on SA Hip Hop Mag.
When Kiernan AKA Forbes died 3 years ago, South African hip‑hop didn’t just lose one of its brightest stars—it lost its heart. Three years on, the culture that he embodied and fought for feels quieter, less fearless, less connected to the world in which we live. Today’s scene churns out tracks, but it rarely resonates the way AKA’s music did.
Look at the landscape: no major award nominations beyond hip‑hop categories, no South African hip‑hop tracks breaking into Spotify or Apple Music top tens. That absence isn’t a numbers game it’s a symptom. It’s the sound of a genre that has drifted from its soul, from the raw reflection of society and self‑examination that once defined it.
AKA wasn’t just about hits and opulence. Yes, he lived a life of luxury, expensive cars, international shoots and iconic music videos. The World is Yours and Congratulate weren’t just flashy visuals; they were statements of commitment to craft. He didn’t do things halfway. His work was cinematic, deliberate, invested not just in spectacle but in storytelling. He pushed for production that matched his ambition and a voice that reflected his world.
But more importantly, AKA was a mirror.
In a conversation I had with Benza he said it best: “AKA was an artist, not just in talent, but in cultural reflection. The best artists don’t just make songs—they reflect the times they live in”. AKA was that rare talent who didn’t shy away from speaking truth, from embedding social commentary alongside swagger.
Take “Army” from Mass Country. Lines like “ANC in the pot, it’s gettin’ hot / Democracy flopped
The whites wanna rock/ This one ah-ah-ah-ah-ah/ The lights going off, the price goin’ up ” weren’t just punchlines, they were cultural barometers. In a way that few could predict, those words became more than rhythm and rhyme, they became prophecy.
Last year, in an unexpected global twist, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced an immigration initiative aimed at granting a special pathway into the United States for white South Africans primarily Afrikaners framed as a response to alleged genocide, racial discrimination back in South Africa. The policy came as the U.S. dramatically slashed overall refugee admissions and yet reserved priority for this specific group, a move that stirred international debate and controversy over whose stories are prioritized on the world stage.
That moment political, ironic, contentious mirrored the unsettling reflection AKA offered in his music: who gets seen, who gets heard, and what the world chooses to value. Only, while the policy stirred headlines and outrage, South African hip‑hop barely registered on the global radar.
This disconnect is the heart of what’s missing. Hip‑hop isn’t just beats and bars, it’s cultural commentary, a societal lens. In the U.S., an immigration policy became a talking point; in SA, a genre that once dissected life and politics became background noise. That’s not coincidence, that’s cultural drift.
AKA was never a gimmick. He was invested—not only in his own success but in the success of the game. He cared about where the culture was going, not just where the charts said to go. He infused his story, his community, his insight into everything he touched. That’s why when he spoke, it mattered.
Today, we have artists with talent, sure, but few with the investment in the culture that AKA had. Few who see music as a responsibility as much as an opportunity. Fewer still who fearlessly blend reflection with swagger, commentary with hooks.
South African hip‑hop after AKA? It’s still here. But it’s lighter. Less biting. Less reflective. Less soulful.
And until someone rises who cares about the culture as much as they care about the craft, the game will feel incomplete.
Because real hip‑hop isn’t just about being heard—it’s about speaking to the world as it is. And that’s exactly what AKA did.
The post How SA Hip‑Hop Lost Its Soul When AKA Died appeared first on SA Hip Hop Mag.
The post How SA Hip‑Hop Lost Its Soul When AKA Died appeared first on SA Hip Hop Mag.
When Kiernan AKA Forbes died 3 years ago, South African hip‑hop didn’t just lose one of its brightest stars—it lost its heart. Three years on, the culture that he embodied and fought for feels quieter, less fearless, less connected to the world in which we live. Today’s scene churns out tracks, but it rarely resonates the way AKA’s music did. …
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