{"id":43796,"date":"2023-03-14T19:07:46","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T19:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/03\/14\/costa-titchs-death-south-african-rapper-wanted-to-hit-next-level\/"},"modified":"2023-03-14T19:07:46","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T19:07:46","slug":"costa-titchs-death-south-african-rapper-wanted-to-hit-next-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/03\/14\/costa-titchs-death-south-african-rapper-wanted-to-hit-next-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Costa Titch’s death: South African rapper ‘wanted to hit next level’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Costa Titch had big plans and big dreams.<\/p>\n

But, on Saturday, fans of the South African rapper feared the worst when he collapsed on stage.<\/p>\n

Later, his family confirmed: \u201cDeath has tragically knocked at our door,\u201d in a\u00a0statement on Instagram.<\/p>\n

Tributes have been paid to the 28-year-old as police investigate what happened.<\/p>\n

BBC 1Xtra presenter Jeremiah Asiamah, who interviewed Costa Titch just weeks ago, says it\u2019s a \u201cvery sad loss\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot just for the amapiano sound, but for all those who enjoy great music,\u201d he tells BBC Newsbeat. \u201cWhen he walks into that room, his energy is infectious \u2013 just like his music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who was Costa Titch?<\/h2>\n

Born Constantinos Tsobanoglou, Costa Titch began his career as a dancer, before a big international breakthrough in 2022 with his song Big Flexa.<\/p>\n

Last month, he announced a partnership with Akon\u2019s record label Konvict Kulture.<\/p>\n

The rappers collaborated on a remix of the track \u2013 named a \u2018Rising Record\u2019 on 1Xtra\u2019s Rave Show.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs much as the original\u2019s done well, there\u2019s still a lot of places across the globe that haven\u2019t heard about the record yet,\u201d Costa told the show.<\/p>\n

\"Jeremiah
1Xtra presenter Jeremiah Asiamah says Costa Titch\u2019s songs will now \u2018hit even harder in the clubs\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But according to Jeremiah, Costa\u2019s ambitions went well beyond one tune.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we were speaking, he said to me, \u2018Big Flexa has done its thing, but I want to take it to a whole new level \u2013 I want to show people I\u2019m more than just a rapper, I\u2019m more than just a dancer, I am a musician\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is amapiano?<\/h2>\n

Jeremiah explains that amapiano is a subgenre of house music that\u2019s\u00a0emerged out of South Africa.<\/p>\n

He says it\u2019s \u201cinfused by house, jazz, lounge music, bringing all those sounds together with really joyful and unique dances.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you had a chance to see Costa Titch live, everybody was doing his dances.\u201d And coming from a dancing background, \u201cyou can only imagine the impact he had in amapiano,\u201d Jeremiah adds.<\/p>\n

How did he die?<\/h2>\n

Videos on social media show Costa collapsing twice before falling off the stage while performing at the Ultra South Africa festival in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n

Organisers\u00a0described him<\/a>\u00a0as a \u201cbeloved\u201d artist and \u201ca galvanising voice amongst South Africa\u2019s amapiano scene\u201d.<\/p>\n

They said they were \u201cdevastated by the sudden loss\u201d.<\/p>\n

Despite online speculation, no cause of death has been given.<\/p>\n

Local police say this will be established by a post-mortem examination, and Costa\u2019s family have asked for \u201ctime and space\u201d while they \u201ctry to make sense of what has befallen us\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2018Their music will live on\u2019<\/h2>\n

Costa died just a month after fellow South African rapper AKA, who\u00a0police say was assassinated.<\/p>\n

\u201cAKA and Costa Titch were really close friends,\u201d says Jeremiah.<\/p>\n

\"AKA
Image caption,The death of Costa Titch (right) comes a month after the killing of his friend and fellow South African rapper AKA (left)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so sad that South Africa and people all around the world who loved both of these individuals\u2019 music have lost them.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 I know it\u2019s a clich\u00e9 \u2013 their music will live on,\u201d Jeremiah says.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir songs are now going to hit even harder in the clubs \u2013 people are going to celebrate their lives, because I know that\u2019s what they\u2019d want from us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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