South African rapper collapses on stage in front of audience – and dies

News » Incidents

27-year-old South African rapper Costa Tich collapsed on stage in front of the audience while performing at the Ultra Music Festival in Johannesburg. A few hours later, Teach died in the hospital.

At the end of his speech, Teach asked the audience to “raise their hands”, the audience burst into thunderous applause — and in a moment he stumbled and began to choke. He collapsed to the floor as the crowd continued to applaud. The stunned members of the film crew rushed to the rescue and carried the performer off the stage.

Costa Tich's family confirmed the news of his death and thanked the fans for their support: “Death has knocked on our door, with deep pain we acknowledge the passing of our beloved son and brother.”

The South African Music Creators Rights Organization tweeted: “Saddened by the death of popular rapper Costa Tsovanoglu aka Costa Tich. We offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and the music industry.”

The rapper, whose real name is Konstantinos Tsovanoglu, originally started out as a dancer and has become a star in the South African music scene in recent years.

He recently signed to rapper Akon's record label and said in an interview, “I felt it was time to partner with a global company so I could break through the barriers and go international.”

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