Top South African rapper AKA shot and killed

Kiernan Forbes--one of South Africa's leading rappers--popularly known as AKA, was shot dead outside a restaurant in the coastal city of Durban.

The rapper was killed along with his close friend, while on their way to a nightclub for a performance, which was a part of Forbes' birthday celebrations. The motive behind the murder is currently being investigated.

In a BBC report, a police spokesperson shared that the rapper and his friend were walking to their car, when they were approached by two armed men who shot them at close range. The shooters then fled the scene on foot.

At present, the police don't want to speculate on whether the murders were a hit or not, however they do believe that the possibility cannot be ruled out.

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Forbes began his career as part of the rap group, Entity. He would later move onto becoming a solo artiste--winning several awards in South Africa.

The rapper was celebrated internationally, earning several nominations for the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards in the US and an MTV Europe Music Award.

Hours before his death, the artiste had posted on social media about his upcoming album, "Mass Country", which is set for release later this month.

In a statement on social media, Forbes' parents paid tribute to him, writing: "To us, Kiernan Jarryd Forbes was a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend, most importantly father to his beloved daughter Kairo. To many, he was AKA, Supa Mega, Bhova and the many other names of affection his legion of fans called him by. Our son was loved and gave love in return."