Soundtrack Of The Struggle

The FeesMustFall movement was such an era-defining moment for the supposedly Born Free generation. For the first time, there was a common cause for them to band behind and use its collective voice to fight for change.

In a lesser-known tale of this time, the late rapper AKA made a cameo appearance at one of these marches. Not long after his arrival, he was turned back by students who sensed disingenuousness in his actions.

This moment stuck with me.

The rapper, born Kiernan Forbes, was known to love the limelight, so the students mistrust felt then, and now still, understandable. Their suggestion: Support them in the booth.

Though Forbes, who was murdered in 2023, would go on to make questionable conscious records Go listen to Mame on his penultimate LP Touch My Blood, the commercialisation of the genre and his standing, or lack thereof, as a socio-political commentator lessened the songs impact and even his suitability for such commentary.