They say never judge a book by its cover. What about lyrics, tweets and scandals? On 10 February 2024 marks a year since the rapper's untimely passing. We Farrah Francis interviewed hip-hop bad-ass AKA in 2013 for TRUELOVE magazine.
AKA is running five minutes late. I am worried. What if he pulls a diva move and doesn’t pitch? What if he leaves me sitting here at trendy Tasha’s in Rosebank by myself? Then he walks in, swag overflowing, and greets me with a hug and a kiss.
There are no seats available outside and we have to sit in the noisy, bustling interior of the restaurant. He quickly speaks to the manager, gesturing towards me, and in true rock-star form, the manager is suddenly moving tables, chairs and customers. Somehow space is made available outside. It’s like a scene from a movie.
“What a rock star!” I joke. The then-25-year-old giggles and says, “Nah, I just eat here a lot.”
And so my preconceived notions of a hip-hop prince begin to melt as I start my interview with one of the most controversial male artists the South African music scene has seen in a long time.
What do awards mean to you?
Well, going back to last year’s SAMAs, I was hoping to win one and I won two. It was a bonus to win Best Male because that meant – according to the SAMAs – that I was the best male artist in South Africa at that time. It was huge for me because hip-hop is a growing market. It was bigger than me.
In terms of the hip-hop awards, I was in Jamaica and when I came back I had found out that the awards’ voting lines had just closed. They hadn’t really communicated to us about voting lines, which I thought was unfair because I wanted fans to have enough time to vote. So I decided to sit them [out]. You can’t have the South African hip-hop awards without the major role players.
Are you arrogant?
I believe I’m super confident. It intimidates people and sometimes makes them feel smaller, but what am I going to do? Who wants to listen to a humble rapper? It comes with the territory. When Kanye West says, “I run this game,” South Africans are going to applaud him and say, “Wow, look at him.” When I do it, it’s like, “Look at AKA, he’s so arrogant.”
It’s all about the consistency; we need to paint everybody with the same brush, and at the end of the day it’s part of my character and I can’t let go of it. Especially when it comes to social networks, you don’t know someone until you’ve had a five-minute conversation with them. I’m just a very relatable guy who’s extraordinarily good-looking. (Laughs)
READ MORE | 'We've lost an amazing talent' - Tributes pour for AKA following his untimely death
What’s your relationship with Khuli Chana like?
Khuli’s like a big brother to me. He’s been at this a lot longer than I have and I think there is healthy competition between us. We push each other to make good music and great videos. He is someone I trust to give me good advice and I’m very lucky to have someone guide me and to let me know when things might be getting a bit too hectic. He’s the voice of reason in my head.
- Bones Thugs and Harmony – First Of The Month
- AKA – Jealousy
- P Diddy – Mo Money Mo Problems
- Bob Marley – Jammin’
- Michael Jackson – Dangerous
Do you think you’ve changed since being in the industry?
I think I’ve changed a lot. I choose my words more carefully and I’ve realised my life is not mine anymore. I’ve become more private and I don’t go out as often as I used to. I also reveal a little less about myself. At the end of the day you need to find a way to exist as your own person where you can have your own people around you. I’ve learnt how to tell the ‘yes man’ people from the real ones. I am a bit more protective about myself.
What is your position on love and what do you look for in a woman?
It’s a beautiful thing to be in love and everybody needs to fall in love. I don’t care how gangster or how hard you are, but every man has a soft spot and every man will come across that woman who makes him abandon the way he was before. It’s something we all need to embrace. On the flip side, when love doesn’t work out, it sucks! I’ve been in love a couple of times and you always learn a lot about yourself when you’re in love, and it makes you better. A man in love is better than a man by himself. Love is distracting. I look for someone who is loyal, intelligent and ambitious. I want someone who has their own plans and dreams and I want someone who will laugh at my jokes.
READ MORE | Nadia Nakai and AKA's mother embrace as Forbes family shares funeral and memorial service details
Who’s your biggest influence?
I’m a Kanye West fan. His approach to music and his lyrics resonate with me. He’s an artist I most certainly want to work with at some point in my career. Locally, I respect Cassper, who’s up and coming, Cashtime Family and I’ve always enjoyed JR, HHP, Pro and of course Khuli Chana.
What can people expect from your new album?
It’s like my old album, but on steroids. I produced 80 percent of the album and the content has changed; there are good collaborations and the sound is different. I’ve used a lot of my favourite dance music on the album, but I haven’t found a title for it yet. Naming an album is like naming a child – you have to live with the name for forever. You can quote me on that.
