Primedia's Randall Abrahams has paid tribute to Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes, following the rapper's murder on Friday.

In a statement to News24, Abrahams praised AKA for being able to "straddle the lines between carrying the flame for hip-hop and 'crossing over' to a broader audience ready and willing to embrace his music via radio and television".

Following his death, musicians, music producers, media personalities and politicians paid tribute to the famous rapper.

Their message has been consistent: AKA was a musical giant in South Africa's hip-hop scene.

"As a hip-hop artist, it's especially challenging to maintain musical 'street cred' while at the same time scoring hits in electronic media and sales terms," Abrahams added in his statement.

"An artist's influence is not necessarily congruent with the sales figures they achieve or awards they win. 'Underground' artists with dedicated followings even among their peers can often prove wildly inspirational."

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