Kiernan Forbes’ death had Shwa looking back and remembering all those we lost who gave us the hip in the hop.
In 2018, we lost Jabulani Tsambo, better known as Hip Hop Pantsula, to suicide. He was a South African Motswako rapper and performed in several languages, but mostly in Setswana.
In Dezemba Shwa was still jamming to the popular Music and Lights, because it’s still lekker.
He truly made iconic jams.
Then I think of the late Skwatta Kamp member, Flabba, who was stabbed to death by his girlfriend in 2015. What a horrible way to lose such a talented songwriter and performer!
Then death robbed us of Linda Mkhize, better known by his stage name ProKid or PRO.
PRO was well known for rapping in a mixture of South African township vernacular and English, we miss your economy of words, man. We wonder if there will be another PRO in the next 100 years. Those ditties, where he rapped about township life and became famous following the release of his self-recorded album, Soweto. His rap game remains unmatched to this day. He passed away at the age of 39 on August 8 2018 after a seizure, while visiting his girlfriend.
Fast forward to 2022, hip hop artist DJ Citi Lyts also died. DJ Citi Lyts, real name Sandile Nkululeko Mkhize, was the younger brother of ProKid. The 32-year-old artist was shot when four men with three rifles approached him and his friends.
His gruesome death was followed by that of Rikhado “Riky Rick” Makhado in February 2022.
Riky Rick committed suicide at the age of 34, leaving behind his doting wife and beautiful children.
His and AKA’s deaths have made Shwa realise that February is not a happy time.
Riky Rick, who amplified the (hip hop) culture, was also an outstanding fashionista, setting the trends and had a brilliant mind. His absence is still felt loudly.
While the hip hop industry was still trying to come to terms with the death of Riky, AKA, was brutally murdered in Durban.
Like most of his hip hop peers, he didn’t do much to dissociate himself from the violence in US rap.
AKA thrived on numerous beefs (hip hop spats) with his main South African rival, Cassper Nyovest. But Mzansi loved him and always will. He was indeed larger than life, and his death still seems unreal.
RIP to Mzansi’s greatest.
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