Makwa Intensifies Feud With Nota Over “Mayibabo” Royalties Dispute. The ongoing conflict between South African producer Makwa and music executive Nota Baloyi has escalated, with the two clashing over royalties from the hit single “Mayibabo.” The track, which was released in 2016 as part of Kwesta’s chart-topping album DaKAR II, has become the centre of a heated financial dispute.
Makwa who produced the track, has expressed frustration over unpaid royalties. He claimed that despite his significant role in crafting the song, he has not received proper compensation for his work. In a series of social media posts, Makwa openly criticized Nota, who was once Kwesta’s manager and is believed to have been involved in the financial management of the artist’s catalogue.
Makwa had been nursing grievances for some time, but it was the former Rhythm City actress Itumeleng Bokaba’s revelation that she was paid only 59 cents for her vocals on the song that finally pushed him to speak out about not receiving any payment as well.
In response to Makwa’s complaints, Nota insulted the renowned producer, claiming he would beat him up. He told Makwa to sort out the royalty issues with SAMRO, insisting it wasn’t his fault that Makwa wasn’t receiving any earnings from Kwesta’s hit song.
“Ngizok’shaya wena… Ung’jwayela amasimba, go to SAMRO & fix whatever’s wrong. I’m not your publisher nor have I ever claimed to be. While you’re at it bring back my things before I open a case of theft against you snyefu!” Nota said.
Makwa stated that Nota managed the song’s split without their knowledge, branding him a fraud, which led to them receiving little to no payment. “You cannot do splits behind our backs and tell us to fix it ourselves, uyas’nyela nje mqondo. You’ve been shady from day one @lavidaNOTA you told me to get rid of my publisher because you didn’t want me to find out that you a fraud,” wrote Makwa.
This isn’t the first time Makwa and Nota have conflicted. The two have previously clashed over various industry-related issues, but the dispute over the “Mayibabo” royalties seems to be one of the most contentious to date. Meanwhile, Kwesta, the owner of the song, has yet to respond to the situation, prompting some fans to question how the award-winning rapper allowed such actions to occur.
