Johannesburg - Slain South African rapper Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes was surely smiling down from the heavens as he watched his ‘Megacy’ celebrate the release of his latest album ‘Mass Country.’
The ‘SuperMega’s’ fourth studio album was posthumously released at midnight on Friday and continued to trend on social media throughout the day.
The South African Hip Hop icon was shot and killed two weeks ago in an alleged hit outside the Wish restaurant in Florida Road. His former manager and long-time friend, Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane, was also killed in the shooting. To date, there have been no arrests.
And as the rapper’s fans, who are affectionately known as the ‘Megacy,’ continue to mourn the loss of his life, many found comfort in his latest releases which have since been lauded as both a parting gift to his fans and a love letter to South Africa.
AKA’s girlfriend and fellow rapper Nadia Nakai who is also featured on the album which was produced and completed before the rapper’s untimely death, who commented.
“I can’t believe this is happening without you. I’m so proud of you baby. You did it. MASS COUNTRY OUT NOW!#MassCountry,” she wrote on Twitter and Instagram.
Nakai was joined by the likes of Khuli Chana, Blxckie, Emtee, Yanga Chief and Sjav to feature on the album.
Meanwhile, the musical icon’s mother Lynn Forbes was quoted as saying: “Kiernan was so proud of Mass Country. As a family it was a pleasure to see his music's evolution over the years. He played us this album over and over again. We’re happy the world finally gets to hear it.”
Mass Country is set to create a new benchmark for South African music and has also received international praise with Apple Music putting the rapper on their Africa Now cover.
The album was also released on Spotify and their data has shown that since his death, streams of AKA’s music have increased by a whopping 743% on the global streaming platform.
“AKA was one of the few people who could be classified as a South African Hip Hop megastar and we are honoured to be able to continue to share his music with his fans both in South Africa and all over the world,” Warren Bokwe, lead music strategy and operations for Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa said. One of the ways that Spotify will do this is by featuring Mass Country on a billboard in New York’s Times Square in the US.
The genesis of this album started back in 2019 but with Forbes’ family’s blessings, AKA’s team at Sony Music Entertainment Africa, T-Effect and Vth Season continued with aspects of the planned roll-out for the album
“It’s been a two-year process working on this album from him giving us the vision and just telling us what exactly he wanted to do,” T-Effect co-CEO and AKA’s co-manager Nhlanhla “Nivo” Ndimande explained as he shared insight on the making of Mass Country.
“It was tough in the beginning because we were like, ‘Wait, you want to mix country music, maskandi and hip-hop? How does that even make sense?”’ But as the music began to take shape, AKA’s grand vision became clearer and clearer. “
Ndimande added that AKA wanted to create an album that South Africans “could embrace and cherish.”
“As he’s done throughout his career by carrying the flag with him wherever he went, the Supa Mega wanted to create an album that sounded like home – an album for the “masses of the country.”
The rapper’s love for his nation is evident in some of his lyrics on Mass Country as he makes references to some legendary South African moments like Sphiwe Tshabalala’s opening goal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He also pays homage to iconic local musical pioneers like Zakes Bantwini, Johnny Clegg, Skwatta Kamp, Khuli Chana, and refers to South African beverage Oros and potjiekos.
Ndimande added that AKA “always had a vision.” “He always knew what he wanted, and he was able to get that out of people.”
He explained that ‘Everest”, one of the standout songs on Mass Country, was one of the first AKA started working on. He recalled how, two weeks after Anele Tembe’s funeral, as he was walking to AKA’s house in the estate, he was surprised to hear music.
The 22-year-old, who was engaged to Forbes, died after falling from a balcony at the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town in April 2021.
“I’m like what’s going on, has this guy finally connected his studio? As I walk, I look and see that Kiernan had his studio set up in the garden and he was busy chopping up that sample repeatedly,” Ndimande said. “That song to me was capturing Kiernan at his lowest emotionally but showing his creativity the most.”
The rapper’s co-manager also believes that Mass Country “is undeniably one of the best of AKA’s sprawling career.”
“Poetically, in true Supa Mega style, AKA went out with a bang. “It’s crazy for me to say this, but I think spiritually Kiernan knew that this was his last project,” he said.
“Him adding ‘Last Time’ and making it the first song on the album speaks volumes.”
“His dad used to play the original last time that he referenced so it was like a ‘Let’s do this thing one more time guys’. That’s why I’m like spiritually he kind of knew. Kiernan never submitted an album so early in his life.”