In a legal battle that has made waves across South Africa, rapper K.O’s defamation case against music executive Nota Baloyi took a dramatic turn with unexpected revelations. Nota has been sentenced to 60 days in jail for contempt of court following malicious social media posts where he implicated K.O in the tragic death of AKA, sparking a string of defamatory comments that K.O sought to challenge legally. This verdict means that Nota is expected to spend Christmas and New Year behind bars, a sentence many see as a cautionary tale about the dangers of misinformation and social media misuse.
Yet the case has also lifted the lid on a surprising detail about K.O himself: his true age. In court documents, K.O’s birthdate was revealed as October 13, 1978, which makes him 46 years old. This contradicts his widely cited age of 44, which is based on his Wikipedia entry listing his birth year as 1980. Briefly and Famous Birthdays on the other hand lists his age as 36 per their date of birth: October 13th, 1989. The correction in his age, though unrelated to the primary allegations of the case, has added an unexpected twist to an already complex court battle. It’s also important to note that K.O has taken great care of himself and this confusion is fuelled by his youthful looks and generally being in great shape for most people his age.
For K.O, the case seems to be about more than just defending his name—it’s about drawing a line against the spread of false accusations and maintaining his reputation. Although the rapper has been in the industry for nearly two decades, the age revelation underscores the longevity of his career, as well as the pressures artists face to manage their public image amidst ongoing scrutiny.
