AKA (rapper)

AKA
Background information
Birth name Kiernan Jarryd Forbes
Born Cape town South Africa
Genres Rap
Occupation(s)
Years active 2002–present
Labels
Website iiirdwrld.com

Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, known by his stage name AKA, is a South African hip hop recording artist and record producer.

Music career

In 2009 AKA ventured for a solo career with hits like "Mistakes", "In My Walk" and "Do It" with the latter making it to number 1 on the South African 5FM Top 40.[1] He won Metro FM Music Awards for "Best Newcomer", "Best Hip Hop" as a solo act and "Best Produced Album" for his debut Altar Ego.[2] It is then that he was dubbed "Prince of South African Rap" by one of the national newspapers.[3] He also won "Best Dressed man" during the GQ Awards in South Africa alongside Oscar Pistorius.[4]

In 2011 AKA's song "Victory Lap" won Channel O's Most Gifted Hip-Hop Video at the 7th annual Channel O Music Video Awards and at the 18th South African Music Awards AKA was awarded Male Artist of the Year and Best Street Urban Music Album.[5]

AKA has opened for Kanye West, Snoop dogg, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar in their South African tours.[6] He has won many awards including "Best Street Urban Music Album" and "Male Artist of the Year" at the 18th South African Music Awards (SAMA) In late 2014 rapper AKA signed a multi-album deal with Sony Music through its new local urban label Sound African recordings. Executive head of A&R for Sony, Zakes Bantwini made the announcement through their platform. ‘We’re excited to add AKA's illustrious career to our stable. We are excited about AKA's growth prospects in Africa and beyond.’ The Sony Music/AKA partnership is the key catalyst to change the business and face of Music across Africa, especially in the key areas of quality, distribution and content management’.[7]

In June 2015, AKA's sophomore album Levels was certified Gold, by the Recording Industry of South Africa, for shipments of over 20,000 copies domestically, as of May 2016 the album was certified platinum by RiSA.[8]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected information
Title Album details Certification
Altar Ego[9]
Levels[10] RISA: Platinum [12]
Be Careful What You Wish For (with Anatii)
  • Released: July 28, 2017
  • Label: BEAM Group, YAL Entertainment, SME Africa
  • Formats: CD, Digital download

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected information
Title EP details
24/7/366

Singles

List of singles as lead artist, with certifications, showing year released and album name
Year Title Album Certification
2009 "I Want It All"
(featuring Pro Kid & Khuli Chana)		 Altar Ego
2010 "Victory Lap"
2011 "All I Know"
"Bang"
(featuring Khuli Chana)
2012 "Jealousy" Levels
2013 "Kontrol"
(featuring Da L.E.S)
2014 "Congratulate" RISA: Gold[13]
"Run Jozi (Godly)"
(featuring K.O)		 RISA: Gold[14]
2014 "All Eyes On Me"
(featuring Burna Boy, JR and Da L.E.S)		 RISA: Platinum[13]
2015 "Sim Dope"
"Baddest"
(featuring Burna Boy, Khuli Chana and Yanga)		 RISA: Gold[15]
"Composure"
2016 "Dreamwork" [16] (featuring Yanga)
"One Time"
"The World Is Yours"
2017 "10 Fingers"
(with Anatii)
"Caiphus Song"
"Don't Forget to Pray" (with Anatii)
List of singles as featured artist, with certifications, showing year released and album name
Year Title Certifications Album
2013 "Heaven"

(Da L.E.S featuring AKA and Maggz)

 Mandela Money
"Hit 'Em Up"

(X-Static featuring AKA and Priddy Ugly)
2014 "N Word (Remix)"

(Ice Prince featuring AKA)
"Tsiki Tsiki (Remix)"

(Duncan featuring Professor, AKA and Mampintsha)

 Street Government
"Tsekede (Remix)"

(Dreamteam featuring Tamarsha, Big Nuz and AKA)
"Bump the Cheese Up (Remix)"

(Reason featuring AKA, OkMalumKoolKat and Tol A$$ Mo)
"God's Will"

(DJ Vigilante featuring AKA and K.O.)
2015 "Awuth' Yam" (Remix)

(Yanga featuring Kid X and AKA)
"The Saga"

(Anatii featuring AKA)

 Artiifact
"P.A.I.D"

(Da L.E.S featuring AKA and Burna Boy)

 North God
"Yipikayay"

(Reason featuring AKA and Khuli Chana)

 Audio Re-Definition (Reason Season)
"Roll Up (Re-Up)"

(Emtee featuring Wizkid and AKA)

 Avery
2016 "Lie 2 Me"

(Ma-E featuring AKA)

 Township Counsellor
"Real Stuff"

(Da L.E.S featuring AKA and Maggz)

 North God
"Day One"

(Kwesta featuring AKA and Tweezy)

 DaKAR II
"Make Me Sing"

(Diamond featuring AKA)
"Hello"

(LayLizzy featuring AKA)
"Bounce"

(Stanley Enow featuring AKA and Locko)
"Bang Out"

(DJ Vigilante featuring K.O., Nasty C and AKA)
List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
Year Title Certifications Album
2012 "Hape Le Hape, Part 1"

(Khuli Chana featuring AKA, Zeus, Reason, Towdee Mac and Kay Gizm)

 Lost in Time
"Tswa Daar (Remix)"

(Khuli Chana featuring Ice Prince, AKA, Reason, Maggz, Navio and Ice Queen)
2013 "Dirty Politician"

(Da L.E.S featuring Junior Prez and AKA)

 Mandela Money
"I Wish"

(Professor featuring AKA)

 The Orientation
2015 "Return of the King (Intro)"

(Tumi, performed by AKA)

 Return of the King
"Talk That Shit"

(Dreamteam featuring AKA and Ice Prince)

 Dreams Never Die
2016 "Miss Joburg" (Stogie T featuring AKA) Stogie T
2016 "Money over B****es" (Da L.E.S featuring AKA and Maggz) Diamond in Africa

Music videos

List of music videos & showing year released
Year Title
2009 "I Want It All"
(featuring Pro Kid & Khuli Chana)
2010 "Victory Lap"
2011 "All I Know"
"Bang"
(featuring Khuli Chana)
2012 "Jealousy"
2013 "Kontrol"
(featuring Da L.E.S)
2014 "Congratulate"
"Run Jozi (Godly)"
(featuring K.O)
"All Eyes On Me"

(featuring Burna Boy, JR and Da L.E.S)

2015 "Sim Dope"
"Composure"
"Baddest"
(featuring Burna Boy, Khuli Chana and Yanga)
2016 "Make Me Sing"
(featuring Diamond Platnumz)
"Dreamwork"
(featuring Yanga)
"One Time"

Awards and nominations

Year Award Ceremony Prize Recipient/Nominated work Result Notes
2012 18th South African Music Awards Best Male Artist Altar Ego Won
2013 Channel O Africa Music Video Awards Most Gifted Hip Hop Nominated
Best Male, Southern Africa[16] Nominated
Best Rap Act[16] Nominated
MTV Africa Music Awards Best Hip Hop Nominated
Channel O Africa Music Video Awards Most Gifted Hip Hop Nominated
2015 African Muzik Magazine Awards Best Male Southern Africa Won
Best Collaboration Won
MTV Africa Music Awards Best Collaboration Won
21st South African Music Awards Best Male Artist[17] Levels Won
KORA Awards Best African Hip Hop Nominated
BET Awards Best International Act (Africa) Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards Best International Act
M.O.B.O. Awards Best International Act (Africa)
4th South African Hip Hop Awards Best Collaboration AKA - Baddest (featuring Burna Boy, Khuli Chana and Yanga) Nominated
Anatii - The Saga (featuring AKA) Won
Most Valuable Artist
  • Levels (Gold album)
  • Congratulate (Gold single)
  • All Eyes On Me (Gold single)
  • Run Jozi (Godly) (Gold single)
 Won
Most Digital Sales Won
Song of the Year Anatii - The Saga (featuring AKA) Won
AKA - Baddest Won
Video of the Year AKA - All Eyes on Me Nominated
Anatii - The Saga (featuring AKA) Won
Da L.E.S - P.A.I.D (featuring AKA and Burna Boy) Nominated
AKA - Sim Dope Nominated
2016 15th Metro FM Music Awards Best Collaboration AKA - Baddest (featuring Burna Boy, Khuli Chana and Yanga) Won
Best Hit Single Won
Best Remix AKA - Baddest Remix (featuring Fifi Cooper, Rouge, Moozlie and GiGi Lamayne) Nominated
22nd South African Music Awards Best Collaboration AKA - All Eyes on Me (featuring Redsan, Burna Boy and Stonebwoy) Nominated
Best Remix AKA - Baddest (featuring FiFi Cooper, Rouge, Moozlie and GiGi Lamayne) Nominated
BET Awards Best International Act[18] Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "MTVbase: AKA biography". MTV Base. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "IOL.co.za: Getting to know AKA". Iol.co.za. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "XXL Mag: Down South: The 10 Hottest Rappers in South Africa". Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "SundayWorld: AKA: A masterminded triumph". Sundayworld.co.za. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  5. ↑ "Aka". Trace. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Mail & Guardian: AKA done with opening shows for international artists". The M&G Online. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  7. ↑ Akan, Joey. "SA Rapper AKA Signs Deal With Sony Music Africa". Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  8. ↑ "AKA goes gold at long-last - SundayWorld". www.sundayworld.co.za. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
  9. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Altar Ego by AKA". iTunes. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  10. ↑ IDM Reports. "Metro FM to debut ‘Congratulate’ single off AKA Levels album". IDM Mag. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "Online Youth Magazine | Zkhiphani.com – AKA drops ‘Levels" on vinyl". www.zkhiphani.co.za. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
  12. ↑ "News : Levels has gone Gold!". MTV South Africa. 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
  13. 1 2 "AKA's #LEVELS album reaches gold | YoMzansi™ BLOG |". YoMzansi™ BLOG | HIGHEST GRADE SOURCE of SA Entertainment News. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
  14. ↑ "AKA's 'Run Jozi' gets Gold certified | YoMzansi™ BLOG |". YoMzansi™ BLOG | HIGHEST GRADE SOURCE of SA Entertainment News. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
  15. ↑ "AKA accumulates a Gold Plaque for his hit single Baddest". Hip Hop Hub. 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  16. 1 2 3 "See Nominees for the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) 2014". Bellanaija. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  17. ↑ "Home - Samasama". Samusicawards.co.za. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  18. ↑ "AKA, Cassper Nyovest, DJ Black Coffee NOMINATED for 2016 BET Awards and more African artists". theedgesearch.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.