Burna Boy Says Rift With Late Rapper AKA Was Resolved Before His Death
Grammy-winning Nigerian artist Burna Boy has disclosed that he and late South African rapper AKA had settled their long-running dispute before the rapper was killed.
The two musicians had a public falling out in 2019 following heated exchanges linked to tensions between Nigerian and South African fans during the Africa Cup of Nations. At the time, Burna Boy had issued a strong warning to AKA, while the South African rapper was accused of fuelling controversy after sharing screenshots of abusive messages he said he received from Nigerian social media users.
In a message shared on Instagram to mark AKA’s posthumous birthday, Burna Boy revealed that the disagreement was later resolved privately through direct messages, away from public view.
The Nigerian star expressed regret that despite making peace, they never had the opportunity to properly reconnect or work together on planned projects before AKA’s death.
“Happy birthday Supa Mega,” Burna Boy wrote. “We fell out over nonsense, but we squashed it privately. Sadly, we never got the chance to link up and do what we talked about. That’s something I’ll always regret. Rest in peace.”
AKA, whose real name was Kiernan Forbes, was shot dead outside a restaurant in Durban on 10 February 2023. The killing sent shockwaves through the African music industry and beyond.
Legal proceedings relating to his murder are still ongoing, as fans continue to mourn one of South Africa’s most influential hip-hop figures.
