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Two of South Africa’s top hip-hop acts are heading to tonight’s Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards after seemingly reigniting their long-standing tension.
Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, who has been nominated in the Best International Act: Africa category, and Refiloe “Cassper Nyovest” Phoolo, nominated in the new Viewers’ Choice category, were nearly embroiled in another Twitter war this week over the latter’s lyrics in the song 428 to LA.
It is likely that one of them will return home victorious after the awards ceremony, which takes place at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, US.
On Thursday, AKA fired the first salvo when he tweeted: “I’m very proud that I’ve never lied on a record. I just heard a SA rapper say, ‘I make a mil every month’ on a song. Clowns!”
Although AKA didn’t mention any names, it was clear his message was directed at Nyovest.
AKA later tweeted that rappers could lie about what they owned and what they had, but their lies were bound to catch up with them.
Nyovest was tight-lipped until the following day, when he also took to social media, saying: “You dissed me on Twitter again this morning. May God grant u all your heart’s desires so you could b happy. Good luck for the BETs.”
He then sent another Tweet: “This was directed at me. I have nothing bad to say to this guy or about him. May God bless him and his unborn baby.”
AKA’s manager, Raphael Benza, refused to comment.
“I’m sorry, we won’t entertain this [question],” he said, before hanging up.
Nyovest and his manager, T-Lee Moiloa, were not available for comment.
It’s been more than five months since the pair publicly shook hands and claimed they had settled a long-running beef marked by insults, shoving and – on one occasion – a gun being drawn.
But that sign of friendliness may have simply been a publicity stunt. If Twitter is anything to go by, feathers could soon be flying again.
