by Bem Abubakar

South African rapper, AKA, real names- Kiernan Jordan Forbes, is in Nigeria for the Industry nite event, which holds on Wednesday, February 4.

While preparing for his debut performance in Nigeria, YNaija caught up with AKA for a quick and extremely revealing sit-down.

The lyricist spoke on his love for Tiwa Savage, admiration for Ice Prince, and possible collaboration with Nigerian artistes, among other things.

Is this your first time in Nigeria?

Yes, this is my first time in Nigeria. I have been to Ghana before, so it’s not my first time in West Africa but yes this is my first time in Nigeria.

How has your experience been thus far?

So far, the food is very spicy and very hot. The people are very friendly, they’ve got a very warm thing about them and I’ve got a lot of friends out here that I can’t wait to touch base with. On Wednesday during industry night, I think I will get a better perspective of Lagos and what Nigeria is about.

How long do you intend to be in Nigeria?

I intend to be in Nigeria till about Thursday/Friday, thereabout.

How did your collaboration with Ice-Prince and Don Jazzy come to be?

Well, it was from a joint that Ice-Prince had on his album, which was produced by Don Jazzy. Ice-Prince reached out and we have great respect for each other in terms of our music. Don Jazzy obviously produced the song and so I had to jump at the opportunity because you know, Ice-prince is Ice-Prince and obviously, everybody loves Ice-Prince. I jumped on the opportunity and the rest is history.

Beyond that project, what has your relationship with him been like?

You know Ice-Prince is one of my brothers. He’s obviously one of the biggest rap-stars on the continent. We have a good vibe and good chemistry so you know; every time I see him, its love.

Do you have plan to perform again in Nigeria after the Industry night?

Definitely! I can’t wait to come back. I even thought about it when I was going around and seeing everything. I was thinking to myself that maybe I could live here, because I already like the vibe.

Which Nigeria artist are you looking to work with in the future?

I’ve got a lot of collaborations that I want do. I want to do another song with Ice-Prince and Don-Jazzy. Obviously I and my brother, Lynxx, as well as with Burna Boy, and Wande coal who I met for the first time on Sunday night. He is immensely talented.

How much of Nigerian music fan are you?

I love Nigerian music, I love all sorts of artist from Nigeria. You know; Nigerian music and South African music has gradually started coming closer, and you see more collaborations between both country’s artists than we’ve ever seen before, so I think it’s great the Nigerian Music is growing in the same breath as South African music.

Who is your favorite Nigerian artist?

I don’t know if I have an absolute favorite Nigerian artist but I do have favorites. I love Wizkid, I obviously love Burna Boy and Tiwa Savage, and you know, the good thing is that as much as I love these artists, opportunities are springing up for me to work with them so that’s perfect for me.

What do you think about Nigerian girls as opposed to South African girls?

It has to be South African girls because it’s where I’m from, so I have to go with South African girls.

Is it safe for me to say you like them better than Nigeria girls?

Yeah, I mean, you might even need to ask Nigerian guys if they like South African girls. They might even say they like South African girls more than Nigerian girls.

Which Nigerian female artist or actor do you have a crush on?

Ah! Mehn, I know she’s totally married and having a baby, but I like Tiwa Savage a lot. Yes, I really like her. I’ve got like a mini crush on her. It’s only a crush though.

How many body of works do you have out now?

I’ve got two albums out. I’ve just finished my second album; “Levels”, which has been very successful of course. I’ve also got a lot of great singles that have come off the album. Songs like “congratulate”, “Run Jozi” and “All eyes on me”.

I’m very fortunate that I have managed to release a lot of hit singles and have had a lot of success with my album in terms of it enabling me to go to all sorts of places. I am very proud of my album.