Music duo Blaq Diamond and songstress Sbahle. Images via Instagram @ndu_browns, @sbahle_c_sa
Singer Sbahle accuses Blaq Diamond of exploitation and bullying
Blaq Diamond are embroiled in a copyright battle with their former artist, Sbahle, who is now under Ambitiouz Entertainment.
Music duo Blaq Diamond and songstress Sbahle. Images via Instagram @ndu_browns, @sbahle_c_sa
Afropop duo Blaq Diamond – made up of Ndumiso “Ndu Browns” Mdletshe and Sphelele “Danya Devs” Dunywa – have been accused of bullying and exploiting their former artist, Sbahle Cele .
The songstress – who is known for her hit song Emhlanjeni – took to social media on Friday, 5 May, to accuse the artists of not sticking to their end of the deal when they brought her to Johannesburg to help her pursue her music career.
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SBAHLE WANTS HER MUSIC REPUBLISHED
Blaq Diamond have their own record company, Umuthi Records, which Sbahle had signed under before joining Ambitiouz Entertainment – the same record label the Summer YoMuthi hitmakers were signed with before leaving in 2021.
According to Sbahle, the duo promised to catipult her career. In addition, they promised to take care of her financial needs. However, Sbahle says they are bullying her and have taken down her music.
“People come to my Grandparents home, ask for permission to move me to a different province and promise to take care of me, my career and support me all the way. Only for them to abandon me, not knowing what I eat, where I sleep, how I live. Now they are bullying me out of my music and taking it down,” the musician wrote.
“So Bhuti @ndu_browns you really meant it when you called me a nothing ?
Is that the reason why you are taking down music that we agreed about ?
Is this how you are showing your support?”
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BLAQ DIAMOND VS AMBITIOUZ ENTERTAINMENT
Having music removed from digital platforms is nothing knew for Blaq Diamond. In October last year, the musicians applied for an interdict against Ambitiouz Entertainment following the removal of their hit song Qoma (featuring Big Zulu) from YouTube.
At the time, SowetanLIVE reported that the duo wanted the court to prevent “any person or entity acting in concern’’ from removing and/or deleting their YouTube channel and song.
ALSO READ: Blaq Diamond takes Ambitiouz to court over hit song removal
In addition, the interdict was to prevent any further copyright or ownership battle for their songs IIanga and Fireworks with any other digital streaming platform such as Spotify, iTunes and Deezer.
According to Sunday World, the popular record label said that the duo “unlawfully” terminated its contracts and continued to get paid for gigs behind its back.
ALSO READ: ‘They owe us four albums!’: Blaq Diamond fails to honour contract
Their first contract with Ambitiouz was signed in 2017 and renewed in 2020 before Blaq Diamond left the company the following year without concluding their contract.
