AKA’s Absence Felt: Outrage and Longing as South Africans React to DJ Maphorisa’s Explosive Comments on Amapiano and Nigerians
South Africans are longing for the presence of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes as they react to DJ Maphorisa’s remarks about Amapiano.
DJ Maphorisa, a highly influential figure in the genre, shared his thoughts on Amapiano and Nigerians.
On Twitter, South Africans and Nigerians engaged in a heated exchange on Tuesday evening and Wednesday, arguing about the ownership of Amapiano.
The conflict arose when American singer and rapper Swae Lee teased new Amapiano music on social media. However, after the announcement, the Sunflower singer added a Nigerian flag, which led South African users to believe that he was suggesting the genre originated from Nigeria.
Swae Lee clarified that he didn’t mean to imply that Amapiano originated from Nigeria, but expressed his interest in the genre. He mentioned that he was introduced to Amapiano by Nigerians.
DJ Maphorisa Supports Nigerian Amapiano
After his court appearance for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend Thuli P, DJ Maphorisa shared his thoughts on Amapiano and Nigerians in a video.
The producer of “Banyana” emphasized the need for South Africans to join forces with Nigerians, highlighting their vast community and advancements in business and pop culture.
“So as South Africans, what we need to do, what’s important, I feel like we just need to collaborate with them. Try to understand their business model. How they structure their business and learn from it and then move,” DJ Maphorisa advised fellow South African artists.
South Africans Divided
DJ Maphorisa’s remarks elicited various reactions, with some agreeing that Nigerians are far ahead of South Africans and there is much to learn from them. However, others felt that he was excessively praising Nigerians and if AKA was still alive, he would have sided with his fellow South Africans.
Here are a few comments:
@Nelisiwe94:
I have a lot to argue about… but I’ll just leave it there for now because this Maphorisa guy is just thinking about his bag💰💰and nothing else. Guys we really miss #AKA 😭😭 we are left with izilima zama artists…. .
@Lord_Foussa:
The man is being factual when it comes to the Nigerians they know how to moves as a unit and South Africans only unite on tweeter when it comes to support, only when its beneficial they support the artist.. we lack cultural unity
@Burnerburnerac5:
Uniting with Nigerians in hopes of advancing careers isn’t a prerequisite especially when European and US music execs exist. Amapiano was already in Europe before Asake was discovered, so trust and believe we don’t need any transactional relationships to push our sounds.
Watch the video below:
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