Rapper Costa Titch Passes Away At 28

At 28, South African rapper Constantinos Tsobanoglou, also known as Costa Titch, died in a hospital after seeming to pass out during his concert at the Ultra Music Festival. 

One of the greatest artists of amapiano, a kind of music defined by deep house, basslines propelled by log drums, and soulful piano melodies, Tsobanoglou was a rising superstar in South Africa.

His rap style blends worldwide rap subgenres like trap music, which has its roots in Atlanta's burgeoning hip-hop industry, with South Africa's culture, style, and indigenous languages.

Tsobanoglou was born in the town of Nelspruit in northern South Africa, and before switching to rap, he had a successful dancing career, according to The Sun.

His family announced his death on Sunday after videos of him fainting twice onstage circulated online.

They confirmed in a statement that the artist died but did not disclose the cause or any other specifics about the death.

Rapper's family posted the statement on his Instagram account, saying, "Death has tragically knocked at our door. Robbing us of our beloved son, brother, and grandson, thanks to emergency responders and all those present in his last hours on this earth.”

The viral videos on social media showed Costa Titch looked to be falling forward.

Here's the video:

In one, an anonymous man onstage catches him and pulls him up before the rapper resumes his concert. Yet after a little while, he seems to lose consciousness once more.

After the news of Costa Titch's demise, the Ultra Music Festival South Africa's organizers also released a statement.

They said, “We are devastated by the sudden loss of the beloved South African artist Costa Titch, who tragically passed away this weekend. Costa was a galvanizing voice amongst South Africa’s amapiano scene – a talented rapper, dancer, songwriter, collaborator, and friend to the festival.”

Fans and other musicians expressed shock and grief at the rapper's passing on social media.

Meanwhile, the family of Costa Titch received "heartfelt condolences" from The Southern African Music Rights Association, a copyright organization.

In just a few weeks, two notable deaths in South Africa's thriving rap culture had already occurred.

AKA, also known as Kiernan Forbes, was shot and killed outside a restaurant in Durban, South Africa, last month. He was 35 years old.

In 2021, AKA and Costa Titch together published an album.

In the 2020 South African Hip Hop Awards, Titch's song "Nkalakatha," which features Riky Rick and Kiernan "AKA" Forbes, won best collaboration and best remix.

Titch got signed to Akon's Konvict Kulture label and was a rising star in the South African musical genre amapiano.

Titch's 2022 album, Mr. Big Flexa, includes a song titled "Big Flexa" that the rapper co-wrote with Akon.