Rapper Kgotso Semela, better known as Ben Sharpa, has died, an industry colleague and former record label boss from Jarring Effects has confirmed to TshisaLIVE.
"I was in contact with Tebz, his sister, this morning and she said that Kgotso is gone. It's horrible news for all of us. Tebz told me last week that he was ill but I did not expect to lose a friend," said the label manager.
The exact circumstances of his death were not clear.
Friends and colleagues took to social media to applaud the musician for his lyrics and musical artistry. He often touched on political issues and in 2008 released Hegemony, which was about police brutality, to much applause.
The musician, who was 41, trended on social media since the news of his death first broke on Thursday afternoon.