Who was Junior King and what happened to him? Tributes pour in wake of South African TikTok star's untimely death at 29

Junior King, whose real name is Dugulth Darian Denver Ferreira, passed away on December 11. He was inside a grey Volkswagen Polo TSI with his two kids, one other passenger, and the driver when it collided with a truck. Junior King passed away at the age of 29.

The accident occurred on the N1 near Verkeerdevlei in the Free State, a province in South Africa. Ferreira was pronounced dead at the scene, and four other passengers were quickly admitted to a hospital.

Junior King is a rapper and TikToker from South Africa. He is originally from Gqeberha and has over 3.7 million followers on TikTok and more than 235,000 followers on Instagram.

Ferreira mainly made videos doing dance challenges and performing on stage. His last album, My Revenge, was released on December 5.

Lucinda Windvogel represented the Ferreira family and shared their statement on Facebook. They confirmed the musician's death and thanked the fans, friends, and artists for their mental support. The family then asked for privacy so they could grieve for Dugulth.

"We are humbled by the outpouring of love and tributes from fans, friends, and fellow artists across South Africa. His legacy as a performer, and cultural voice will live on in the hearts of all who knew him," they stated.

Family and friends of Junior King shared their tributes

Rapper and content creator Chesrae Megan and influencer and DJ Yuzriq Meyer shared their condolences on social media. Megan announced on Facebook that she canceled the debut of her song, Business, in honor of Junior King.

Yuzriq Meyer wrote in a tribute post that he recorded a podcast episode with the artist last week. He noted that Dugulth Ferreira was an "important part of culture," saying that he could not believe he was gone.

"We did the episode of the PSA podcast literally this week to drop today. And to get the news of his passing and his kids being in the accident is wild to me. I type this right now with utter disbelief. Bro was such an important part of the culture and worked harder than anyone I know... Nah fuck, life is so unfair," he wrote.

Fans of the rapper have also shared their tributes. They prayed for Junior King's family and discussed how he was recently getting more recognition for his music.

"You had so much going for you, here on earth but God needed you more. To us, it doesn't make sense right now, but God knows best and one day it'll all make sense," one fan wrote.

"He had such a bright future, career was just taken off... Nothing was more admirable then seeing how all the young children of the northern areas looked up to this giant soul, rest easy," another Facebook user noted.

According to Algoa FM's report, the South African Police Service has opened an investigation into culpable homicide. Ferreira is survived by his wife and two kids. Stay tuned for more updates on the death of Junior King.