- AKA’s posthumous album, Mass Country, sets a new benchmark for South African music, his co-manager Nhlanhla ‘Nivo’ Ndimande says.
- The rapper’s album was released on Friday, two weeks after he was shot and killed in Durban.
- According to Ndimande, Mass Country was the first album AKA submitted “so early in his life”.
AKA’s co-manager Nivo, real name Nhlanhla Ndimande, says the rapper’s posthumous album, Mass Country, is not only undeniably one of his best but sets a new benchmark for South African music.
“It’s crazy for me to say this, but I think spiritually Kiernan knew that this was his last project,” Nivo says in a press statement.
Mass Country, AKA’s fourth studio album, was released on Friday. According to Nivo, it was the first time the rapper submitted an album “so early in his life”.
“That’s why I’m like spiritually, he kind of knew. Kiernan’s never submitted an album so early in his life. Bhovamania was submitted at 9 pm for a midnight drop. Spiritually, he knew, even if he didn’t know consciously.”
Nivo says work on the album’s genesis started in 2019, before Bhovamania was released. He says it was tough initially as they did not understand his vision for the album – mixing country music, maskanda and hip-hop. However, he adds that as the music began to take shape, AKA’s “grand vision became clearer and clearer”.
“What AKA wanted to do was create an album that the people of South Africa could embrace and cherish,” he says. “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.”
According to the statement, the rapper references legendary South African moments, pays homage to iconic musical pioneers and refers to proudly South African beverage Oros and potjiekos in the album’s intro.
“He kept saying he was trying to do something that he’s never done before, so he needed everybody that was on the team to do something that they’d never done before,” Nivo says.
AKA was shot and killed in Durban, outside a popular restaurant, two weeks before his album release. His longtime friend and former manager, Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane, was killed in the same shooting.
