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You say stunt, I say strategy – AKA on fooling SA about Bonang ‘break-up’

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Bonang Matheba and AKA are still togather after their publicity stunt “break up”. Picture: Lucky Nxumalo
Bonang Matheba and AKA are still togather after their publicity stunt “break up”. Picture: Lucky Nxumalo

Popular rapper AKA has admitted that his Tweet on his “break-up” with his girlfriend, Bonang Matheba, was a publicity stunt leading up to the release of his latest single, Caiphus Song.

On Tuesday, AKA, real name Kiernan Forbes, released his single Caiphus Song for the first time on Metro FM. The lyrics of the song talks about break ups and buying bags.

“We sat down and I told her [Bonang] this is what I want to do for my single and she loved the idea. Everything worked out perfectly,” he says.

Last week, he tweeted that it was over between him and Matheba. A few days later he tweeted that they were fine.

“The tweet and everything was part of the plan – well, in South Africa they call it a publicity stunt and in America they call it “strategy” – and it really worked out. We wanted to do something that was a moment for the culture here in South Africa,” he explains.

He says that they (Bonang and him) did it because they are the most powerful names in the entertainment industry and they thought they might as well use it to make a “big statement”.

On Sunday last week, City Press reported that AKA and Matheba were playing games. A friend close to them also confirmed that it was a publicity stunt.

“They both need each other to stay relevant. But at the same time they are toxic for each other. It’s like that of Bobby and Whitney Houston toxic relationship – it’s exactly like that,” the friend told City Press.

“I didn’t read the article. I don’t spend time on social media when I’m not promoting something. More than anything, they are doing my job for me, they promote me whether it’s a good or bad publicity,” he says.

Speaking about the song, AKA said it was inspired by Caiphus Semenya’s song, Matswale.

“I wanted to make a wedding song, it’s the type of the song that you can dance to at a wedding and for South African hip-hop artists this is something that has never been done before.”

He says that he finished working on this single in November last year but he was waiting for the right time to release it.

“I originally wanted to drop the song on Valentine’s Day. I thought that this would be way too obvious,” he shares.

“It’s also a song about a relationship on a rocky ground, but really not so much on a rocky ground. It’s about a relationship of two people who have an opportunity to spend their lives together and have this beautiful future together, but don’t see the bigger picture,” adding that when the pair are trapped in a little argument they also don’t see the bigger picture. “This is definitely what I’ve been through.”

He was adamant that his relationship with Matheba was 100%.

“I’m amazingly happy,” he smiles from ear to ear.

Asked whether they would be walking down the aisle anytime soon, he said: “We’ll take about that on another occasion.”

AKA’s single, One Time, is nominated for best single at the Metro FM Awards, but says he is not attending the awards this year and will not be attending any award ceremonies this year.

“It’s not a personal thing against any awards, it’s just a principle thing that this year I feel like I want to concentrate on the music and I want my fans to receive the music,” he says.

AKA is currently working on his album, which he is planning to release later this year while also working on a collaboration album with Anathi “Anatii” Mnyango.

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