AKA tattoo tributes flood social media
JOHANNESBURG - Tributes from fans for rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes have flooded social media, with some choosing to get inked in remembrance of their fave.
AKA was assassinated outside a popular Florida Road, Durban restaurant on February 10. Celebrity chef and author Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane was also killed in the shooting.
The star was one of the most popular artists in the country, with a following around the world.
News of his death sent shockwaves, with fans posting pictures and sharing how AKA touched their lives.
A few had their tributes engraved on their skin and shared them online.
This sparked debate, with some applauding the tributes and others saying they had gone too far. Many said people should be free to remember those who touched their lives in whatever way they choose. Professor of sociology at York University, Deborah Davidson, told Global News memorial tattoos can be understood as a form of public storytelling and a way to deal with loss.
“When placed in an area easily seen, the tattoo may be a way to make sure the person is not forgotten, not by themselves, but by others,” Davidson said.
A study by psychologist Luzelle
Naudé from the University of the Free State, reported in Psychology Today, found participants who got tattoos of loved ones did this to keep their memory alive.
One study found memorial tattoos “play a beneficial role within the grieving process and serve as a positive therapeutic tool’. It noted five fundamental features: ‘Permanence, a tool for managing grief, communicative tool, continuing bonds and transformation of self’.