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‘Music was our love language’ – Nadia Nakia on her and AKA’s Mass Country collab
Slain rapper AKA's new album 'Mass Country' dropped on Friday.
Pictures: Instagram
Two weeks after rapper AKA (real name Kiernan Forbes) was fatally shot at a popular nightlife hotspot on Durban’s Florida Road, his new album Mass Country was released.
Despite his brutal murder on 10 February 2023, AKA’s team – VTH, The T Effect and Sony Music Entertainment Africa – as well as his family decided to go ahead with the release of the album.
In a statement last week, the rapper’s team said they will continue to celebrate his legacy as the family and record label have decided to release the album.
“They [Forbes family] are choosing to continue with the release of Mass Country album on the 24th of February as planned.”
“In the last two years, Mass Country has become AKA’s entire world. The Supa Mega constantly kept the album release momentum and anticipation high,” the statement read.
ALSO SEE: WATCH: What happened to AKA’s tombstone?
Nadia Nakai on collaborating with AKA on ‘Mass Country’
Speaking at a Megacy Listening Session on Thursday night, AKA’s girlfriend, Nadia Nakia said music was part of her and AKA’s love language.
“It was something that we used to do just the two of us in the living room and that was part of our date nights and just showing love to each other. We worked on multiple songs. This was probably the second last song we worked on together, we worked on a song the last week before he passed away as well.
“It was something that we just always did as we are musicians, we were both rappers. I looked up to him for so long in my life and for obvious reasons we couldn’t make music together so it’s crazy that the moment we were able to get together and make music, it was from lover’s perspective and not just two artists collaborating, and I think that’s why it is so special to me,” she said.
ALSO SEE: Nadia Nakai finally opens up about AKA’s death in emotional tribute post
AKA’s last words on ‘Mass Country’
In one of his last interviews, AKA told Apple Music that he wanted to make an album that had an undercurrent of super South African country music.
“I grew up listening to a lot of Jackson Browne and Cat Stevens, and all these weird guys that my dad played me, and it was kind of cathartic for me after my fiancée passed away. Country music is very much about heartbreak and pickup trucks and stars and stuff like that. So, I wanted to kind of get that feeling in there. But in a South African context, that would mean what?
“Maskandi; music from the Midlands, Pietermaritzburg. But then, with my obvious love for house music as well, and as time went on, Mass Country, just grew to mean the sound of South Africa – the sound of the country I am from, and the purpose of it being for the country that I’m from,” he said.
Commenting on the track, Dangerous he did with his girlfriend, Nadia, the rapper said the song is something really sultry just for him and her to have a track.
“Do you guys remember that song by Meek Mill, ‘All Eyes on You’? You know how rap music used to sound maybe like 10 years ago? Just like, damn man, so many love songs.”
Reactions to ‘Mass Country’
The hashtag #MassCountry topped the Twitter trends list on Friday morning, as Megacy fans and industry peers shared their thoughts about the new album on social media.
“I can’t believe this is happening without you. I am so proud of you baby. You did it. Mass Country out now,” Tweeted Nadia Nakai on Thursday evening.
Rapper Cassper Nyovest took to his Twitter account on Friday morning, tweeting: “Happy Mass Country Day! Big love to the Megacy!”
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