Tumi Molekane is a Tanzanian-born South African rapper and poet. He was the lead vocalist of Tumi and the Volume, which was officially disbanded in 2012. In 2016, Tumi relaunched himself as Stogie T and released an eponymous album titled ‘Stogie T’ which featured Da L.E.S, Lastee, Emtee, Nasty C, Nadia Nakai and Yanga.
Stogie T is an OG in the hip hop scene in South Africa. He worked alongside AKA as a judge in the hip hop talent show called The Hustler.
The rapper put his penmanship to work as he wrote a touching tribute post for both Kiernan and Tebello. It beautifully described the lives and the impact AKA and Tibz had on the industry and how much they meant to him and the industry at large.
The post said:
“Kiernan. We rage at the indignity of your transition, we cry at the theft of your gift, we pray to our God for your soul, we sing and rap along to your honest reflection of our land, we memorialize you and claim back your dignity through heartfelt commiseration, we climb up the trails and dizzying levels you traversed, we invent alter egos vicariously through your creations, we wrestle through the mania of our own lives to find courage, we heed your warning but wish for it still, we touch blood and hug in pain, we will never forget you. I love you Keano! Rest In Peace. May Jesus Christ have mercy on your soul.
Tebello bro, the dark lords of the world were unquenched taking you. You were a maverick man. A king maker. You built this thing. You were the culture. You United us behind those velvet ropes, paid for the stages and lights that made us seen. I love you my brother. My heart goes out to your folks, my folks. Head Honcho your name was a verb Mr Showlove. How tragic that some would sought to extinguish love. You are not a footnote in the headlines, you are the stepping stone from which we launched ourselves into the globe. My fellow sartorialist, sensualist, purveyor of the finer things in life. Liga Privada smoke on a Cape Town rooftop, Riedel Vinum Grand Cru Riesling by the caseload, slow roasted marmalade porchetta, Prokid on the aux and pickup games in the autumn. Rest In Peace Tibz.”
My deepest condolences to the Forbes and Motsoane family.
“I hope you got somebody you can lean on, toast everybody who been gone”
DONT FORGET TO ??
View this post on Instagram
Also see: AKA: slain South African rapper was a once-in-a-generation pop culture sensation