An up-and-coming Eastern Cape musician has turned to the law in a battle with award-winning singer Khanyisa Jaceni who allegedly stole and released his song without his permission or acknowledgment.
Aviwe Mbeka, popularly known as Creed Paris, said he wrote Wenzani, a song that gained traction and was released by Jaceni recently.
He alleges Jaceni stole the song after he had tagged her on him performing the song on TikTok.
Mbeka, originally from Ugie but now based in Mpumalanga, said when he tagged Jaceni on his post with two other popular artists, he had hoped this would help him get the exposure he needed.
He showed the Daily Dispatch a photo of his posts and three artists he had tagged, including Jaceni, in December 2023.
On her TikTok account, Jaceni has denied knowing anyone named Creed and apologised to her followers for the drama surrounding the situation.
“I never knew who Paris was, I’d never heard of him even on my fyp [for you page].
“He has never appeared nor his song, I genuinely didn’t know who he was.”
Jaceni could not be reached directly, but someone who claimed to be her manager declined to comment.
In a letter of demand shared with the Dispatch, Mbeka demands that Jaceni remove the song from all her social media platforms, cease distributing and releasing the song, and refrain from releasing it in the future.
“I was at home when a producer I was working with sent me a screen recording of Jaceni singing my song,” he said.
“I went to her account on TikTok and saw that she had posted the song with the same lyrics and tunes as mine.
“I immediately sent her a message on TikTok, asking about the song but she never replied,” he said.
“[Later] I received a call from someone who claimed to be Khanyisa’s manager, who told me they were willing to negotiate with me.
“I was willing to comply because I wanted what was rightfully mine.
“They told me to delete her TikTok posts, but luckily someone suggested I shouldn’t delete them in case we did not find common ground.”
Mbeka said attempts to negotiate with Jaceni failed.
“Khanyisa and her management suggested we meet.
“Their offer was that both of us should not release the song, delete it on social media platforms and collaborate on a new song, post it and not explain to the public.
“I felt like that was unfair.”
Mbeka said after some back and forth, Jaceni went to visit his family.
She reportedly offered to help him build his reputation if he stopped pursuing the matter on social media.
“She told my family that she would take care of me because she knows people, has been in the game and has won awards — all because she wanted me to agree to her terms and conditions.”
Following the media coverage of the dispute between Mbeka and Jaceni, a lawyer offered to represent Mbeka in the legal battle.
“I was going to release my song with local people, but what made me fight for what’s mine are the social media people who are backing me.
“This whole battle hurts, it’s been three weeks and I haven’t had any appetite.
“All I wanted was to become big, that is why I had side hustles because the money I’d saved would push my music.
“I am someone who works hard to put something on the table.
“I am an [up-and-coming] artist who was hoping that artists like Khanyisa would help me.
“I didn’t mind her collaborating with me, but she twisted everything to suit her.
“I never slept while writing that song, and I just want to be given credit.”
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