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The music industry bid farewell to South African rapper Costa Titch who sadly passed away after collapsing on stage at the Ultra Festival in Johannesburg.
The 28-year-old, who started his career as a back-up dancer before transitioning to spitting rhymes, had recently partnered with music mogul Akon’s record label Konvict Kulture. His future seemed bright as even Akon was featured on the remix of his song Big Flexa.
His death, while performing at the Nasrec Expo Centre during the Ultra Music Festival, took his family and friends by surprise. He apparently died shortly after his collapse on stage and the cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“It is with deep pain that we find ourselves having to acknowledge his passing at this time,” his family wrote on Instagram.
“Death has tragically knocked at our door, robbing us of our beloved son, brother and grandson Constantinos Tsobanoglou, who South Africa had come to love and idolise under his stage name Costa Titch.
“We are thankful for the emergency responders and all those present in his last hours on this earth. As a family, we are faced with a difficult time as we try and make sense of what has befallen us and ask that we be afforded the time and space to gather ourselves.
“The Tsobanoglou family thanks you for the love and support you have given to our son and may you continue to uplift him, even in spirit.”
Tributes have been pouring in from fans and musicians alike. English electronic music group Clean Bandit took to Twitter to share how devastated they are by the news while photographer, designer and web developer Jairo Takan thanked him for helping many fall in love with amapiano—a subgenre of house music that emerged in South Africa in the mid-2010s.
Others that performed at the festival include Adam Beyer, Alesso, Fisher, Timmy and Oliver Heldens.
