K.O Opens Up On Turning Down AKA’s Joint Album Proposal. A long-desired and dream collaboration between South African hip hop titans K.O and the late AKA was once closer to reality than fans may have known, but ultimately never materialised due to differing creative energies.
In a candid moment during a recent interview with DJ Speedsta on 5FM Radio, K.O opened up about the missed opportunity, revealing that a duo project with AKA was indeed proposed back in 2015.
“That happened in 2015,” K.O confirmed. “And I think it was more so like the way that he handles stuff — he was very performative. I felt like it was too performative for me in terms of being a very polarising individual.”
While AKA was known for his larger-than-life persona and media-savvy approach, K.O admitted that at the time, he wasn’t ready to match that high-octane energy.
“He led with action, and I was more so like the most poised guy. So I was worried that he was entrusting me into a position where I have to keep up with that, and that’s not who I am at that time.”
Though the project never came to fruition, K.O acknowledged that the idea made perfect sense to AKA, who later formed a celebrated partnership with Anatii, resulting in the hit joint album Be Careful What You Wish For in 2017.
“I understood why it made sense for him to link up with guys like Anatii,” K.O added, reflecting on AKA’s collaborative choices.
