South African poet and scholar Ntsiki Mazwai has brought attention to a troubling issue in the music industry. Known for her vocal presence on X (formerly Twitter), Ntsiki has accused Gallo Music of exploiting her talent by retaining control over her master recordings without properly investing in her work.
ZiMOJA reported that Ntsiki detailed her grievances against Gallo Music. She stated, “One day I want to talk about how Gallo Records owns my master but didn’t produce it. They have no invoices. They came in at the last part of the photoshoot and paid for mastering (cheap) and my contract gave them all my intellectual property and rights.” Ntsiki highlighted that, as a young artist, she was unaware of the complexities of contracts and the implications of signing with a major label.
Ntsiki further explained, “I was obviously young and didn’t know contracts. Also this thing of big corporates signing with desperate artists and exploiting them. I paid for everything and did everything. My only mistake was signing to Gallo thinking I needed them.” She revealed that after being released from her contract three months later, Gallo Music retained all rights to her work, including her intellectual property.
“This is a clear case of artist exploitation,” Ntsiki declared.
Ntsiki’s accusations are part of a broader conversation about artist rights and exploitation in the music industry. Another artist, Intaba Yase Dubai made headlines for a similar reason. According to Kaya959 the singer, known for the hit song iMali Eningi, has parted ways with Ambitiouz Entertainment following a royalty dispute.
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