PAYING TRIBUTE: Pictured at Thursday’s memorial service for Nelson Mandela Bay rapper and dancer Dugulth ‘Junior King’ Ferreira at the Gelvandale Stadium are his mother, Marian, Sadiyah Stephens and Tashreeqa Stephens (Fredlin Adriaan)

A drive through their neighbourhood, taken as a final gesture of gratitude, set the tone for a day of mourning and remembrance on Thursday as the family of popular Kariega-born rapper and dancer Dugulth “Junior King” Ferreira prepared to bury him.

His parents, Marian and Max, spoke at a public memorial service at the Gelvandale Stadium, where a concert was held in his honour.

“It is a big loss for us. Only God knows why,” Max said.

The rapper was travelling on the N1 between Colesberg and Bloemfontein in the Free State on December 11 when he was killed in a head-on collision with a light truck, according to police..

His two young children, who were in the car with him, were rushed to a Bloemfontein hospital for medical attention.

They have since been discharged.

Marian said she often turned to prayer for her son, aware that not everyone understood him, despite the big heart with which he loved others.

“He loved everybody. What I do not understand is that everybody loves him now.

“It was not like this before. I do not know where he got the strength, but I thank God, because he prepared me.”

She revealed that she learnt of her son’s death through social media.

“My daughter was so, so angry.

Junior King, 29, started his career as a dancer, working with the likes of Cassper Nyovest, AKA, Costa Titch and Early B.

After gaining international recognition for his dancing, he began his journey as a musician, rapping in Afrikaans.

He also owned the King Dance Studio in Kariega, teaching hundreds of children the art of dance.

Together with Kayla Pieters, also known as Kay Medusa, Junior King’s music career took off with a bang in 2024, garnering millions of views on his YouTube channel.

His biggest song was Ghetto.

Early B said Junior King had a tremendous work ethic.

“That is why I was not surprised to see the amount of time it took for him to get where he was in Afrikaans music.

“If you want to honour Junior’s name, it should not be just a post. Try to mimic his drive and the amount of work he put into his work,” Early B said.

Junior King, who pursued a rap career alongside Kay Medusa, released albums and music videos that collectively amassed more than six-million views.

Dugulth ‘Junior King’ Ferreira, a prominent rapper and dancer from Kariega, died in a head-on collision on the N1 near Verkeerdevlei in the Free State. Picture Supplied/FB (supplied)

During the 2025 Public Health Entertainment Awards in Paarl on Wednesday, the duo won the majority of the awards.

The awards previously catered for artists in the Western Cape, but this year they included entries from the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape.

Fans voted along with a panel of judges.

Junior King and Kay Medusa won the most awards at the evening award ceremony.

This included the album of the year.

Kay Medusa said on Thursday that he was much more than a social media sensation.

She said when others fell asleep, he would be editing music videos.

“On Wednesday, I went to an awards ceremony, where I received all his awards on his behalf.

“We won every category that we were nominated for.”

Junior King also choreographed several dancers who gained international attention.

Former National Arts Festival manager Nobesuthu Rayi said she met Junior King when he was a 15-year-old choreographer.

She was astounded by the depth and maturity of his skills.

“He was a star, before anyone knew he was a star, he did things deliberately, he worked with people he did not know, he asked them to teach him gumboot dancing.”

His funeral will take place on Saturday.