Fans Rally Behind Samthing Soweto After Being Snubbed for Vocal Contributions on ‘Amalanga Awafani’

The much-anticipated Amapiano track “Amalanga Awafani” has sparked controversy rather than celebration after its release, as fans expressed their outrage over the omission of Samthing Soweto’s name from the credits. Produced by Mas Musiq and Lawd Weezy, and featuring big names like DJ Maphorisa and TO Starquality, the single was expected to make waves. Instead, it faced a boycott.

The uproar began when fans realized that while the song prominently featured Samthing Soweto’s vocals, the artist was not credited. Soweto’s fans were outraged, noting how the artist had played a significant role in the track’s vocal delivery. It was soon revealed that the delay in the song’s release was due to a dispute over ownership rights, with Soweto requesting a share of the master rights. Back in July, the singer had hinted at this when he stated, “People need to learn how to share masters. We don’t work for each other, we work with each other.”

Upon the song’s release without Soweto’s name, he responded subtly yet emotionally, posting a broken heart emoji on X (formerly Twitter), which fuelled further anger from his supporters.

Determined to right the wrong, fans swiftly mobilized on social media, urging others to report the song on platforms like Apple Music and YouTube. Influencers like @PovertykillerB posted instructions on how to report the track for missing credits, with one tweet reading: “Samthing Soweto was not credited for being on this song.” Other supporters echoed similar sentiments, stressing that Soweto’s talents should not be exploited.

Content creator Phil Mphela was among the influential voices backing the boycott, applauding fans for using their collective power to stand up for Soweto. “Seeing all of you behind Samthing Soweto and reporting the song on YouTube is beautiful to watch. Enough is enough!” Mphela tweeted.

As the online storm gathered force, celebrities like Sabelo The Kreator and Fikz The Cook joined in, encouraging their followers to report the song on streaming platforms like Apple Music. Fans were adamant that Mas Musiq, DJ Maphorisa, and others involved in the song should not profit from Soweto’s vocal contributions without giving him due credit.

Attempts to get a response from Mas Musiq led to a brief and somewhat dismissive reply from his manager, who simply stated, “What’s done is done.”

DJ Maphorisa, on the other hand, did not take the criticism lightly. In an explosive Instagram Live session, Maphorisa lashed out at Soweto and other artists like Sir Trill, making derogatory comments about them and accusing them of sabotaging their own careers. His rant, in which he called Soweto’s attitude “sh*tty,” sparked further outrage. Many fans felt that Maphorisa’s words only served to highlight his own lack of professionalism and character.

The Amapiano community was quick to come to Soweto’s defense. “Samthing Soweto is telling the truth … just listen to Maphorisa waffling about how he stole ‘Adiwele’ and he thinks it’s something to be proud of,” one fan commented in response to the live video.

In a positive turn of events, the intense pressure from fans forced the song’s creators to credit Samthing Soweto properly, providing a moment of justice for the talented vocalist.