'Rest easy Boss Zonke' — Tributes pour in for late rapper Riky Rick

Mzansi and the hip-hop fraternity have been dealt another blow this week as news of rapper Riky Rick's death rocked the country.

Friends and fans are struggling to come to terms with the rapper's passing and have flooded social media with tributes to the star, adding that they are keeping his wife and children in their prayers. 

The rapper's family confirmed he died early on Wednesday. In a statement sent to TshisaLIVE, they asked for privacy and prayers.

“The family of SA artist Riky Rick with profound sadness this afternoon confirmed his untimely passing. Son, husband, father, brother and uncle, Riky ‘Ricky’ Makhado, 34, sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning (February 23) in Johannesburg.”

Riky gifted the world with hit songs such as Amantombazane, Boss Zonke and Sidlukotini but more than that, he left many with fond memories of beautiful encounters with him.

Chad de Don took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late rapper saying Riky's energy was out of this world.

“Blessed to have got the chance to be on the same song as you. Your energy was unmatched. Thanks for everything you did brother. Hate it ended this way.”

On Twitter his fans have been sharing their personal stories on how the rapper inspired them.

“If it wasn’t for this guy I prolly [probably] wouldn’t have gone to film school, I wouldn’t be here today. I saw him and his peers at open day own the stage. I wanted that. Crazy how we got to work with Riky Rick at the peak of his career after that. Thank you for the good times man.”

One of his greatest achievements, in addition to his music legacy, is the establishment of Cotton Festival, which was due to make a comeback in 2022 after taking a break thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 34-year-old leaves behind two children, Jordan aged 12, and Maik aged eight. He also leaves behind his wife Bianca Naidoo who he has been married to for over nine years.

Here are some of the tributes from Twitter :