South African rap icon Rikhado ‘Riky Rick‘ Makhado left breadcrumbs on the motives behind his passing in numerous public engagements, including this hair-raising interview he did with Yanga Chief.
Watch: Riky Rick speaks on his death in this interview
The 34-year-old was found dead in his Johannesburg North residence, on the morning of Wednesday 23 February 2022.
While his family never outrightly revealed his cause of death as suicide, sources close to the rapper confirmed the tragic news. However, months prior to his death, Makhado had been candid about his struggles with mental health, and, more specifically, suicidal thoughts.
On Episode 6 of his podcast Lab Live, published in September 2020, Yanga and Riky spoke candidly about the uTatakho rapper’s ascension to the summit of Hip-Hop, mental health in a clout-centric music industry and immortality in rap.
Yanga opened a can of worms he may not have been privy to, at the time. when he probed Riky’s mind about “the immortality gap” that exists after an artist passes away at the height of popularity.
In response, Makhado admitted he’s “suffered from depression, chronic depression and mental anxiety.”
“My thing was to make one album. At 24 years old… I might not have been as deep in the rabbit hole, I might have not been as deep into the darkness… I was on a destructive path, bro… I lost my father at a time where I needed the help..” Riky lamented, linking the source of his depression to the death of his father.
In the interview, which you can watch below, Riky also chillingly admitted his plan was always to die young, following in the path of Tupac Shakur and Christopher ‘Notorios BIG’ Wallace.
NOTE: The part of the interview where Riky prophesied his death starts at the 37:19 mark.
Suicide notes leaked by sources close to the rapper were published in a Sunday World exclusive, where Riky addressed his wife and children about his battles with voices in his head.
According to insiders, his wife Bianca Naidoo returned home in the wee hours of that fateful Wednesday to find Riky’s car parked in the garage with all doors open.
In a panic, Naidoo contacted his management team, who rushed to Riky’s studio, where he was found dead with a rope near his body.
The Boss Zonke star was rushed to hospital but, by then, it was too late.
Riky will be laid to rest in a privately-held funeral on Tuesday. His memorial service will take place on Friday 4 March 2022.
