Local rapper AKA had tweeples very upset after he announced that the winner of is #TouchMyBloodChallange was his own company.
A couple of weeks ago the 'Star Signs' rapper launched the #TouchMyChallange where fans could submit album concept artworks for his upcoming album.
READ: AKA claps back at shade-throwing Bonang
These covers I made didn’t make it to @akaworldwide Top 10 for the #TouchMyBloodChallange but if you an artist, and need graphic work done, hit me up 📩 I’m nice widdit pic.twitter.com/aBr5F2Z7K8
— Hope All Your Smiles Are Real 💕 (@VmixRapper) May 8, 2018
However, his Beam Group design team also submitted design ideas and then this week AKA made the big announcement and the winner ended up being his in-house team.
THE WINNERS OF THE #TouchMyBloodChallange are ... @BeamGroup_🔥🔥🔥🔥 Now THIS is an album cover. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/QBTOACRLPD
— AKA (@akaworldwide) May 8, 2018
He did give the back cover to one of the fan submissions, but the Twitterverse was very unhappy that after the many creative designs submitted the rapper went with a "wack" cover.
However, I believe the best artwork that came from the public participants was this one from @LonerTK... THIS will be the back of album. 🙏🏼 #TouchMyBloodChallange💉 pic.twitter.com/PssXLo5sew
— AKA (@akaworldwide) May 8, 2018
Nah fam it's wack! And you wasted a lot of people's time! Am disappointed broer pic.twitter.com/zYkJq8TJJy
— Mbuzi! Man's not Goat 🐐 (@SabsModi27) May 8, 2018
Lmao. After all the dope art work we saw!!? pic.twitter.com/wHT5v0d93Q
— _keamo 🌻 (@miss_sebelebele) May 8, 2018
I can't wait to fakaza your album pic.twitter.com/0tj2GqdShJ
— Les_Phaa (@lesego_phaa) May 8, 2018
We are very disappointed
Beam we really are.
There were so many Designs that us Did. Suddenly the winner is Beam ?? Really? ?? pic.twitter.com/EOmxqqqhcy
— The~Megacy 🐐 (@IamVee19) May 8, 2018
_Is this the best you can do????that's why Cassper is better than you! pic.twitter.com/btmwC4FdAt
— Lerato Lee (@LeeratoSithole) May 8, 2018
Some also speculated that AKA used the #TouchMyBloodChallange drum up hype for the upcoming release and already choose his album cover artwork.
#TouchMyBloodChallange I feel like aka tricked us he probably had already chosen a cover and just wanted build some hype for his new album coz everyone who took part in this challenge worked hard and then boom aka chooses the laziest peace of work to use on his cover pic.twitter.com/jyDW8yxXpp
— Bongekile Dlamini (@bongibby23) May 8, 2018
Anyway guys, thanks for using up your valuable time and sharing your work for free on the internet. I’m going to go with the team I pay actual money to. Good luck with your futures and stuff mwa
— Sibongile Mafu (@sboshmafu) May 8, 2018
The rapper's management spoke to TsishaLIVE after the backlash to make it clear that they were not trying to scam AKA's fans.
"We didn't play the people. He simply went with the artwork he thought was best. We understand that people were disappointed, but we have opened up doors for designers. We are meeting with some of the best designers to offer them internships", his manager Tshiamo Letswene said.