AKA’s friends to DJ Zinhle and Forbes family – ‘To Kairo, your dad was an example to all fathers’ | TrueLove

17 Feb 2023

Phelokazi Mbude

The stage at AKA's memorial service.

A week after his death on 10 February 2023, Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes’ his fans, friends, industry peers and family members gathered at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg to celebrate his life.

The memorial service saw some of the biggest names in the music industry attend including Oskido, JR, Da Les, Nandi Madida, Blxckie, Yanga Chief, Anatii among many others. Also among those in attendance was Bianca Naidoo, partner to the late rapper Riky Rick.

Nomuzi ‘Moozlie’ Mabena MC’d the memorial service and Kabelo Mabalane delivered the opening word and prayer.

AKA was described by his friends as a “praying man” and having “given his life to Jesus”. A man on his knees with his hand reaching out the sky, one speaker described.

Yanga Chief took to the stage to share his relationship with AKA. After sharing the memories he had with AKA, he shared that the late rapper was by no means perfect.

He said, “There were times where one would rather disappear than having to admit to making a mistake on stage. You couldn’t stand that and sometimes went too far in making sure we know. But your approach to music-making and performance was the ultimate pursuit of perfection.”

Here are other tributes shared from AKA’s memorial service:

Nandi Madida

God bless your beautiful family and I hope his parents find some kind of peace knowing that they raised an incredible human being – a man who’s changed my life and so many and has shown that it’s possible. We’re born in the same year and his trajectory inspired me so much and I’m forever grateful for that. And also to his beautiful daughter, all the love Kairo and just know that he’s always with you and Nadia, he’s always with you and just to all of his loved ones, sending so much love.

Robert Marawa shares how he will remember AKA and recalls the rapper introducing Nadia Nakai to him for the first time. #akamemorial #aka pic.twitter.com/X0q1sQnrJS
— TRUELOVE Magazine (@TrueLoveMag) February 17, 2023

Robert Marawa

I feel so sorry for the family, I feel sorry for his girlfriend – whom he introduced to me literally two weeks ago, excited like a little kid. So my heart goes out to her, the family, the extended family and I suppose the people who were very close to him.

Robert Marawa shares how he will remember AKA and recalls the rapper introducing Nadia Nakai to him for the first time. #akamemorial #aka pic.twitter.com/X0q1sQnrJS
— TRUELOVE Magazine (@TrueLoveMag) February 17, 2023

JR

To uncle Tony, to Lynn, Stephen, to Nadia, to Zinhle and all extended family members my prayers are with you every day and I can’t even begin to fathom how you feel. This is not only a loss for your family but a loss for the entire world at large. We feel your pain and I grieve with you, I mourn with you and I ask that God look after you during this tumultuous period.

Oskido

Zinhle and your husband you have got two kids now, you’ve got two daughters and you need to take care of them. Finally, I met uncle Tony and Lynn I’ve always known you for a long time and I know that you’re going to have to play a major role in making sure that things happen. Lastly, to the Forbes family as you gather along like this, in a few weeks’ time all of us are not going to be here, you’re all going to be alone and this is when it’s going to kick in that Kiernan is gone. I know right now you’re going to be promised a lot … don’t have any expectations. For you, it’s you as a family if you want to carry the Kiernan legacy and you got to do it [sic].

Yanga Chief

He didn’t hesitate to tell me ‘this is it for me, Nadia saved my life’. I thank you thank you for loving my broer and bringing him back to us after we thought we had lost him the first time. He loved you so much. To Kiernan’s parents, I thank you for trusting your son to make right decisions on his life, for trusting him to have the ability to choose his friends and family well. Thank you for opening doors to us as strangers and making us feel a part of your family. To Kairo, your dad was an example to all fathers around the country. I can’t imagine your pain but try and remember all the lessons he taught you because with you he left his legacy … you though him to be a better person and he’ll always be with you. To Zinhle, thank you for putting up with my boy. You’re one of the only people who actually kelp him in check.

AKA’s memorial ended of with a music celebration with Anatii performing the final musical act. Some of the late rappers hits were played and his family and fans danced along.

DJ Zinhle, Nadia Nakai, Lynn Forbes and other family were spotting dancing to AKA’s Victory Lap song and singing along.

DJ Zinhle and Lynn Forbes sing along to 'Victory Lap' lyrics "...came a long way". #akamemorial #akamemorialservice pic.twitter.com/IPEyRoPXCB
— TRUELOVE Magazine (@TrueLoveMag) February 17, 2023

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