The real Kiernan Forbes: 5 Interesting facts about superstar AKA
Kiernan Forbes, or commonly known by his stage name AKA, is arguable one of the most famous rappers in South Africa.
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The 30-year-old ‘Mistakes’ hit maker is followed by over 1.3 million social media users on Instagram, who get to see his luxurious lifestyle first hand.
So, Briefly.co.za decided to take a look at the life of the superstar rapper- here is five facts about AKA you might not have known.
1. He was part of a band.
In 2009, AKA kicked off his solo career with hit songs such as “In My Walk”. However, the superstar has been on the music scene since 2002.
AKA was part of a rap band called Entity, which was nominated in 2005 for Best African Hip Hop at Kora awards.
2. He had bad experiences with opening for international acts
Earlier on in his career, AKA opened for huge international names while they toured SA, which included the likes of Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar.
However, he had since stopped opening for international acts, in fact, he now refuses to do it.
In 2016, AKA recalled how opening for Wale made him decide to never do it again, because he and his band were treated like children.
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3. He studied before taking on a solo career
After Entity broke up in 2006, AKA decided he had to study something before pursuing a solo career- so, he chose a course in sound engineering.
4. He has his own scholarship
The rapper has been accused of living a flashy lifestyle, and even poverty shaming. However, he does give back to other people.
AKA has his own scholarship in collaboration with the SAE Institute and Bridges for Music, which covers the full year tuition for SAE’s full-time Higher Certificate in Sound Production at their Cape Town campus, The South African reported.
“It’s a great honour for me to be able to offer a young aspiring musician/producer/engineer an opportunity to equip themselves with the skills needed to begin a career in the industry. I myself studied to be a sound engineer and I still use the same skills I acquired all those years back.”
5. From humble beginnings to a lavish life
AKA was born in Cape Town, where he lived with his gogo in Mitchells Plain until 1995. He then moved to Joburg, where his mother was a teacher.
His Cape Town fans have accused him of being ashamed of his beginnings before. In his song Angelz featuring Anatii, AKA sings “I don’t want to act like I’m from the Cape Flats, so bounce ASAP”.
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Source: Briefly News
