AKA cries out for help after the passing of Riky Rick
AKA is appealing for help due to the high suicide rate amongst men. "We are crying out for your help. This is so traumatic."
South African rapper AKA has taken to social media to address the immense societal pressure that men experience and their struggle with mental health.
The 'Cross My Heart' hitmaker, who has previously opened up about his struggle with depression, says the high rates of suicide amongst men is a cry for help.
"Let’s keep it 100. The last 5 people I know who took their own lives, 4 of them are men. I’ve seen so much suicide over the last year I can’t even feel anything anymore," he wrote on Instagram.
READ: AKA: "I was diagnosed with clinical depression"
AKA said Riky Rick's death shows that depression has got nothing to do with how much money one makes.
"I’ve spoken to a lot of people, some of them said “He just got a bag from African Bank blah blah etc … “ … that tells you everything you need to know about this fu***d up, fake a*s algorithm world we have created for ourselves to live in. Riky went to Hilton, he grew up around money," he wrote.
The rapper says the high rate of men taking their own lives shows that men are broken.
"I hope that very soon we can address the issue of how damaged and broken the men in this country are. We have no one to talk to, we just pat each other on the back and say, “get on with it, be strong my boi” … but in reality, we are traumatised. Generational trauma passed down to us," he wrote.
He called out for society to go back to family values.
"Ladies, we are not perfect by any means … but damn, we are crying out for your approval, your love and affection. Please, can we RESET and go back to FAMILY VALUES?!. Can we (myself included) start going to Church Again," he added.
The father-of-one asked that men should open up about their struggles.
"Please, can we start some sort of dialogue about MEN in this country because it’s our duty to protect you, to provide and care for you."
The star, who lost his fiancée Anele Nellie Tembe to suicide, has called on both men and women to combat depression and suicide together.
Listen to AKA's new song for his late fiancée Nellie Tembe
"We cannot make this thing work without each other. We are crying out for your help. This is so traumatic. Please, let’s not forget about us. We not perfect by any means but damn …. Look at the stats, we are taking our own lives at record highs. Something has to change."
Image courtesy of Instagram/ @AKAworldwide.