The family of South African artist Riky Rick with profound sadness this afternoon confirmed his untimely passing.
Affectionately known as Riky Rick across the globe, he was deeply loved by his family, friends and the entire entertainment industry. His love for family, friends and community is well known. Riky’s nurturing and developing of young musical talent is well documented, and will forever be remembered.
He leaves behind his wife, two children, his mother and five siblings.
The Makhado family humbly request privacy as they go through this extremely difficult period of grieving. The family has not appointed a spokesperson at this point and they ask that you please keep them in your prayers.
The family are also deeply thankful for and appreciates the countless messages of love and support received, These are felt deeply.
Details of the funeral and memorial will be confirmed at a later stage.
In a last tweet on Wednesday morning at 03:20, Riky wrote: "I'll return a stronger man. This land is still my home."
Riky, real name Rikhado Muziwendlovu Makhado, was born on 20 July 1987 and was raised in KwaMashu township near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
The Sama-nominated rapper rose to fame following the release of his single Nafukwa in 2014. His debut studio album Family Values was certified platinum by RiSA.
He founded the hip-hop festival Cotton Fest in 2019, which was set to return on 19 and 20 March.
Riky married his wife Bianca Naidoo in 2014. He has two children.
In a 2020 interview Riky said that he suffered from "chronic depression" and found himself on a "destructive path" following the death of his father.
"I was the type of person with a lot of symptoms of personal trouble," he said to Slikour in a 2015 interview about his experience in therapy, after battling addiction.
If you or someone you know needs help, The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) can be reached at: 0800 21 22 23 or 0800 456 789 (24 hours, 7 days a week).