K.O: In this culture, you only get crowned when you die

Rapper K.O has shared how the industry only fully appreciates artists when they are gone.

K.O has contributed a lot to the South African hip-hop community and this week a fan expressed how unfair it is that the Skhanda Love hitmaker is often overlooked and not given the respect he deserves.

Being rather mature about it, K.O replied to the stan by pointing out that artists were often only appreciated after they died.

"Sadly you only get that type of crowning soon as you die in this culture," he said, adding that he wouldn't let that deter him.

K.O has been candid about his struggles with the industry, revealed last year that he spent a lot of time trying to pull himself out of a "dark space". He said the battle nearly defeated him and his career.

Speaking to Metro FM's Thomas Msengana, K.O explained he fell into the space after the collapse of his company Cashtime and pressure to change his sound. 

The rapper - who's now back and killing the game - said then that the pressure around him got so much that he ended up scrapping much of his second album and starting again.

"All that pressure and all those kind of things kinda put me in a dark place. I spent a lot of time trying to pull myself out of that, extract myself from that whole situation. That is what I have been doing since 2017."