Focalistic was at a show in London, UK, when he learned of the vicious murder of Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes.
Watch: Focalistic halts London gig after learning of AKA death
The Ke Star hitmaker was in the middle of his set when news of AKA’s tragic death reached him.
Visibly shaken, Focalistic paused his performance to observe a moment of silence in honour of the iconic South African musician.
“We just lost one of our own. So, I’d like to have a moment of silence for AKA. If you from South Africa, you know, just to appreciate the life we’ve just lost,” Focalistic muttered.
Elsewhere, AKA’s close friend, whom he rekindled with, Da LES, left cryptic tweets after learning about the tragedy that unfolded outside Durban’s popular Wish on Florida eatery.
Much like everyone else, Da LES, who’s collaborated with AKA in the past on South African Hip-Hop classic smash hits like Heaven and Kontrol, could not fathom the fact that his boisterous and ever-chappy mate was no more.
In one of his final tweets before going dark, Da LES left fans worried when he wrote, “I’m done.”
AKA was with friends, including his longtime mentor and business partner Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane, in Durban on Friday when tragedy struck.
According to KZN police, the rapper and another male were making their way out of Wish on Florida when two men opened fire on them, killing them instantly.
“What we have for now is that the musician and his security detail were having supper at a restaurant. So, as they were leaving for their vehicle, two unknown gunmen came across the street on foot and opened fire on them, killing them instantly,” Colonel Robert Netshiunda told reporters.
At the time this article was published, the suspects responsible for the murder of AKA and another male believed to be Tibz were presumably still at large and considered armed and dangerous.
AKA is survived by his seven-year-old daughter Kairo Forbes whom he shared with DJ Zinhle, his parents Lynn and Tony Forbes, and his girlfriend Nadia Nakai.
He was 35 years old.
Here are more tributes from AKA’s fans and peers.