Award-winning hip-hop artist Riky Rick has died.
Details of his untimely death are still foggy but ABN TV has learnt that the accomplished musician, whose real name is Rikhado Muziwendlovu Makhado, allegedly took his life at his estate home in the north of Joburg on Wednesday morning.
Several sources, who spoke to our correspondent, alleged that the muso hung himself with a rope after suffering from severe depression.
A source close to the situation alleged that the talented artist was found by his management team at his house at about 8.30am on Wednesday. They rushed him to the nearby hospital as he was still alive.
“Unfortunately he died when they were en route to the hospital,” said the source who did not want to be named.
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Another source confirmed the death which has robbed Mzansi of another talented musician in the Ungazincishi hitmaker. “It’s sad, I am heartbroken, South Africa is poorer without this talented muso,” said the source.
Riky Rick, 34, is the second celebrity to have died by suicide this year. Veteran actor Patrick Shai was found dead in the garage of his home in January.
The muso was the founder and owner of record label Cotton Club Records. He was well-known for fashion and setting trends.
He managed to establish himself as one of the most popular figures in South Africa’s entertainment scene, and has had so much presence in different places.
Riky Rick is known by several other names including Boss Zonke, Master Makhado, Minister of Energy, and King Kotini.
The muso, who was married to Bianca Naidoo, has an interesting background. He was raised mainly by his maternal grandmother because he did not get the chance to grow up with his parents who divorced when he was a baby.
After that, his dad relocated to Johannesburg, and his mother, in pursuance of academia, studied locally and in the UK to qualify to become an advocate.
His untimely death comes just days after he announced a partnership deal with African Bank. The following message was the rapper’s last tweet.
I’ll return a stronger man. This land is still my home.
— MR MAKHADO (@rikyrickworld) February 23, 2022
One of his greatest achievements, in addition to his music legacy, is the establishment of Cotton Festival, which was due to make a comeback in 2022 after taking a break thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the rapper opened up about his struggle with depression after his father died.
The star, who took a break from live performances a few years ago to deal with depression, told listeners of his podcast series LAB LIVE that he suffered from “chronic depression” and was on a “destructive path” after losing his dad.
“I lost my father at a time when I needed the help. I lost him at a time when I needed that voice. A lot of people don’t understand that you can never replace the voice of a father. It wasn’t like he just died, it was like 18 years, living with your dad for a year, and then going back to your mom. I love being with my mom but living with him for a year. A child is never meant to live without his parents.”
Riky Rick is survived by his wife Bianca Naidoo and two children.
Fans flocked to his social media hoping the news of his death was fake.
They responded to his last tweet, which reads: “I’ll return a stronger man. This land is still my home.”
Comments accumulated at speed as people hoped these were not his last words.
Heartbroken fans all over Mzansi, have taken to their TLs to express their shock and sadness at the rapper’s untimely passing.
Not like this Makhado 💔 https://t.co/hK98O3ysbD
— DJ Franky (@FrankySA) February 23, 2022
We love you my man; we did not listen to your loud whisper. We thought we still had time, and unfortunately, we are now too late to intervene. 💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/9Tj5otfYwv
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) February 23, 2022
