AKA’s ‘Touch My Blood’ Was A Masterclass In Album Rollout

The rollout for AKA’s third studio album, ‘Touch My Blood’, released on June 15th in 2018, remains one of the most memorable in South African Hip-Hop, and arguably, in South African music as a whole.

Billed as his final album at the time, ‘Touch My Blood’ saw AKA go all out in the lead-up to its release. The project featured one of his biggest records to date, ‘Fela In Versace’, featuring and produced by Nigerian hitmaker KDDO (formerly known as Kiddominant).

‘Touch My Blood’ also marked a major shift in AKA’s career: it was his first independently released album under his own company, Beam Group, following a public split from Vth Season.

Here’s why ‘Touch My Blood’ stands as a masterclass in album rollout:

1. The Cover Art Competition

AKA opened up the album’s cover design to his fans, inviting graphic designers across the country to submit their work in a public competition. Although the final front cover was designed in-house by Beam Group, the back cover featured a striking image of AKA holding his daughter, Kairo, taken from one of the entries. As the winner of the competition, the visual artist from Rustenburg, named Taonga, received an internship at Beam Group. 

The move generated conversation, hype and fan engagement long before the album dropped.

2. Billboards on the Highways

In a rare flex for a local Hip-Hop artist, AKA took out bold red billboards across parts of Joburg. The billboards bore the album’s title and cover along with the release date. 

3. Helicopters and Hype

Then came the helicopters. Choppers were seen flying over the city, dropping Reebok merchandise (as part of AKA’s endorsement deal at the time) and even actual cash. He also arrived at the Zone 6 launch party in Soweto in a helicopter.

4. The Bonang Breakup

Coinciding with the rollout was the highly publicised end of AKA’s relationship with Bonang Matheba. ‘Beyoncé’, a messy, too-much-information confessional, saw him air the couple’s dirty laundry. A high-profile relationship that lived in AKA’s music was getting its notable epilogue. While doing interviews promoting the album, the conversation would always go to the breakup with AKA referring to her as “Beyoncé”. 

5. Chart Performance

After all the handwork, ‘Touch My Blood’ didn’t just dominate the streets, it topped the charts. The album debuted at No. 1 on iTunes South Africa and was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), with several singles achieving their own certifications. 

‘Fela In Versace’ became a radio and streaming juggernaut, topping charts across the continent and solidifying AKA’s presence in Nigeria, Ghana, and beyond. Other tracks like ‘Caiphus Song’, ‘Sweet Fire’, and ‘Jika’ also performed strongly, ensuring the album stayed in rotation long after its release.