South African well-known artists Mas Musiq and DJ Maphorisa are facing significant backlash after the release of their latest single Amalanga Awafani, which has stirred controversy for leaving vocalist Samthing Soweto uncredited despite his vocal contributions.
Samthing Soweto, whose real name is Samkelo Lelethu Mdolomba, is known for his soulful voice that has graced many hits in the South African music scene.
Fans were eagerly anticipating his contribution to Mas Musiq’s latest single Amalanga Awafani, only to discover that his name was missing from the official credits.
This omission did not go unnoticed, and Samthing Soweto responded to the situation by posting a broken heart emoji above Mas Musiq’s tweet promoting the song.
The song, released under South African Recordings, lists DJ Maphorisa, Lawd Weezy, Mas Musiq, and To Starquality as performers.
The writing credits go to Howard Gomba and Tshidiso Mapulane, while the production credits are given to Thabo Ngubane (Mas Musiq) and Themba Sekowe (DJ Maphorisa).
Nowhere in these credits does Soweto’s name appear, despite his evident vocal contributions to the track.
In the months leading up to the release, Soweto hinted at internal disagreements, particularly around the division of master share ownership rights.
When asked by fans about the release, he consistently maintained that the song would only be available “as soon as we can agree on the master share ownership rights.”
This statement now appears to have been a precursor to the dispute that led to his exclusion.
Fans quickly took to social media to express their outrage. One user tweeted:
“This song has Samthing Soweto and his vocals in it and he is not yet credited for it? The industry keeps disrespecting Samthing Soweto, the man carried this song and without his vocals this song is dead.”
Another commented, “This song is Samthing Soweto, Samthing Soweto is this song. South Africa I want us to dedicate today and tomorrow to Maphorisa and Mas Musiq for doing this to Samthing Soweto!.”
Despite the uproar, neither Mas Musiq nor DJ Maphorisa has issued an official statement addressing the controversy.
The silence has only fueled the anger among fans, who feel that Samthing Soweto was “low-balled” and disrespected.
