Kabelo Mabalane recalls AKA's last request: prayers for Mass Country

Kabelo Mabalane has described his last conversation with AKA, telling SlikouronLife that the rapper asked a home cell gathering to pray for his album Mass Country on the Tuesday night before he died.

AKA, whose real name was Kiernan Forbes, died in Durban on 10 February 2023. Mass Country, his fourth studio album, was released posthumously on 24 February 2023.

The request for prayer

Mabalane said AKA came to the home cell gathering, spoke about his music and his faith, and mentioned plans to spread the gospel on a tour with Joy Celebration. SlikouronLife reports that Mabalane was asked about their final exchange during the interview.

According to Mabalane, AKA told the group he was about to release an album and wanted prayer for it, and for the tour as well.

"He said, bro, I'm dropping an album. It's called Mass Country. Please can we pray for that album today? And I'm actually going on tour. I'm going on tour with Joy Celebration."

The tour dropped from the prayer

Mabalane said AKA changed his mind before the gathering began. The rapper told the group not to include the tour and to pray only for the album.

"And then before home cell started, he said, actually no, don't pray for the tour. Leave the tour. Just pray for the album."

After the gathering, Mabalane said, the group prayed, and he recalled wanting to include the tour in the prayer. AKA, he said, held to his wish that the prayers focus on the album.

Mabalane told SlikouronLife that the moment has stayed with him, in part because the tour never happened after AKA's death.

"That is what I remember, the last conversation being, is that Tuesday night before the fateful Friday when he sadly lost his life."

The account is Mabalane's own recollection of a private gathering, and it adds personal detail rather than new information about the circumstances of AKA's death. It centres on an album that reached listeners two weeks after the rapper died, and on a tour that did not go ahead.