After a gradual start, over a couple of decades, South
African Hip-Hop finally has its first real shot at worldwide acclaim with
Kiernan “AKA” Forbes leading its charge into the global limelight. The rapper’s
year is taking off to a stellar start after being selected as one of five
African artists to watch out for in 2015 by DJ Edu who is a resident specialist
on urban African music at BBC 1Xtra. That prediction has already started
materializing with All Eyez On Me – featuring Nigeria’s Burna Boy, Da L.E.S and
JR – maintaining A-list rotation on BBC 1Xtra for the last 4 weeks. The
London-based UK tastemaker radio station is known for nurturing developing to
global acclaim acts ranging from the British Grammy-nominated Ed Sheeran to the
golden boy of Azonto Fuse ODG. All Eyez On Me is also now on rotation on MTV
Base UK and remains the No 1 most played local song on South African radio.
“AKA has long been one of my favourite rappers from SA,“ says Edu adding, “He
brings undeniably great Hip-hop to the table with that South African flair. He
was one to watch and is now living up to his potential.” This is South African
Hip-hop’s first taste of UK radio and music TV prime time, following soon after
a list mentioning AKA’s contribution to the local scene’s current zeitgeist was
published in the UK Guardian. At the start of 2014, Edu’s spot-on forecast was
that South African dance Mafikizolo would be ones to watch, and sure enough
there was no performing artist group more prolific than the in-demand duo.
Given AKA’s long list of achievements his anticipated performance this year is
more than just a lucky guess: All Eyez On Me is his 4th consecutive No 1 single
from the current album LEVELS. The hit song, which debuted at the top of the
iTunes SA Hip Hop Chart, has had its video heavily rotated on Channel O, MTV
Base, Trace TV. Regionally, the rapper has his sights set firmly on pan-African
domination, backed by a slew of awards confirming his status as South African
urban music’s most celebrated artist. The BBC 1 Xtra play-listing announcement
comes in the wake of AKA’s high profile Nigerian promo tour with a slot on the
coveted Nigerian weekly premium events Industry Nites as part of the itinerary.
Crowned Channel O Africa’s Best Hip Hop artist for the 3rd time in four years,
AKA’s 11 nominations (and six wins) at the 2014 South African Hip-hop Awards
makes him one of, if not the most decorated MC from South Africa. It is likely
that he will continue this feat this month at a music award event hosted by the
biggest urban radio station in South Africa, Metro FM. His 7 nominations here
include Best Collaboration for previous single, the city anthem Run Jozi
(Godly) as well as All Eyez On Me.It’s worth nothing that this is the second
nod that Edu has cast his way. The first came in 2013 when AKA was cited a
breakthrough African artist for 2013. Since then he has performed with Big
Sean, Emeli Sande in the US, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Congo, Tanzania,
Kenya and Malawi just to name a few. A long list of African music A-listers
including Don Jazzy, Ice Prince, Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, Wizkid, Sarkodie and
KO have been drafted for collaborations that will no doubt secure AKA in the
minds and eyes of Hip-hop fans across the continent, and ultimately the globe,
as South African rap’s foremost flag-bearer.
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