South Africa was rocked with tragedy this weekend when 28-year-old rapper and singer Costa Titch, known by his real name Constantinos Tsobanoglu, suddenly passed away. He had recently taken the stage at a popular music festival just hours before collapsing on stage. The footage went viral of the rapper falling over, gesturing for help, and then briefly standing up before falling again.
His family did not immediately disclose the cause of his death in their statement confirming the tragedy on his Instagram page. They expressed their devastation at the same festival he performed at, Ulta South Africa. They described Costa Titch as “a talented rapper, dancer, singer, songwriter, collaborator, and friend.”
Costa Titch, originally from South Africa, was an upcoming star of the amapiano genre, a subgenre of house music, characterized by deep house, wide percussive basslines and soulful piano melodies. His rap style seamlessly blended South African culture, style, and language into the popular trap music genre. One of his most successful singles, “Big Flexa,” saw major success on TikTok and won him fans across Africa. It was even remixed with help from Senegalese-American artist Akon.
South African music stars have been left reeling, with many paying tribute to Costa Titch’s life and impressive legacy. According to his family’s statement, they greatly appreciate the emergency responders and all those on the scene in his last hours. The rapper may be gone, but his spirit and style live on in the memories of his many fans.