AKA:The evolution of South Africa's Kanye West

His rival Cassper Nyovest may have once claimed to be the Kanye West of South Africa, but it seems that AKA is the one starting to resemble the US rapper more with every passing day.

The South African rapper has never hidden the fact that he is inspired by Kanye West and has often made references to the rapper.

But watching AKA in recent months is, at times, a lot like watching a South African Kanye West being formed.

Here's just four striking similarities between the two.

The clothing

In an age when every artist in the country is releasing their own branded merchandise, AKA has decided to drop his latest line of clothing very much inspired by Kanye West's tour gear.

After a shopping spree in America, where he got himself several Kanye West branded merchandise, AKA has taken to Twitter to show off a range of jackets that, like Kanye, contain the lyrics to his songs.

The sound

Anyone who has listened to AKA's catalogue can tell you about the influence Kanye’s projects have had on the SA rapper, perhaps none more so than in recent months when AKA's live performances have started to lean more heavily on auto-tune, a trick that puts him in the same camp as Mr West.

AKA's music videos have also increasingly taken a more high-street artsy feel, in a similar vein to those already adopted by Kanye.

And who can forget AKA telling fans that he might just name his next album The Life of Kairo- in tribute to both his daughter, Kairo, and Kanye's latest album The Life of Pablo.

The famous partner

A photo posted by AKA (@akaworldwide) on Sep 4, 2016 at 8:17am PDT

Sure, love is a complicated thing but it's another aspect where Kanye and AKA are really similar. Just note, for a second, how Kanye is married to perhaps one of the most famous woman in the world, Kim Kardashian, and AKA is dating one of the most popular personalities in Africa, Bonang Matheba.

Of course, they have also come from high-profile relationships previously: Kanye with Amber Rose and AKA with DJ Zinhle.

The Twitter fingers

AKA is perhaps the continent's most outspoken celebrity on Twitter, with the rapper constantly making headlines for his Twitter rants and wars. From arguments about politics to rants about pictures, AKA could start a Twitter riot in an empty room.

It's a situation all too familiar for fans of Kanye West, who have constantly watched as the US rapper shoots Twitter bullets left, right and centre at his rivals.

What would life be without them on Twitter?

The similarities are there but when asked about his thoughts on the matter in an interview recently on US radio show Sway In The Morning, AKA came up with this gem:

"I think Kanye (West) is the American AKA."

Well, there you have it.