DJ Jaivane Called Out by Smaki 08 Over Removal from Upcoming Album 'Onkgopotse', Muso Responds
- South African musician DJ Jaivane is embroiled in a dispute over his upcoming album, Onkgopotse
- A music producer claimed that he worked on a bulk of the songs, but was forcefully removed from the credits
- DJ Jaivane has since responded to the claim and told his side of the story, as Smaki fights for what is rightfully his
Source: Instagram
A music producer and composer by the name of Smaki 08 has made some bold accusations against DJ Jaivane. The DJ is gearing up for the release of his album Onkgopotse on 31 August 2025, but Smaki 08 says he was robbed of the credits to the album despite working on all 14 songs.
Smaki claims that he has contributed significantly to the project, but he was baffled when he was excluded from it. He has released a lengthy statement detailing why he felt betrayed by Jaivane and his record label, Simnandi Records.
Smaki 08 makes bold accusations against DJ Jaivane
In the statement which is circulating all over social media, Smaki said he did the bulk of the work on the album, including composition arrangements, recording some of the songs, producing and engineering work.
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"I worked tirelessly to produce, compose, and engineer a total of 14 songs submitted for inclusion on the album. I personally recorded the vocalists, arranged the compositions, and built the sound that defines much of this project."
However, leading up to the release of the song, Smaki claimed that he received a message from the distributor that he would be removed from the credits of at least 12 songs. The reason he was given was that it would not look good for one producer's name to appear many times on the project.
He found this odd, coming from a third party and not the Ulala Kanjani hitmaker. To back his claim, he insists that he has files and stems which prove that he was the author.
" I was never consulted. No agreement was signed. I was given no chance to approve or reject this removal," he added.
Smaki has since taken legal action to halt the release of the 12 songs until a formal agreement is reached. "I believe in collaboration. I believe in unity. But I also believe in respect, and this move disrespects not only me, but every producer and independent artist fighting for proper recognition."
Source: Facebook
DJ Jaivane responds to Smaki's claims
The star released a statement acknowledging the concerns raised by Smaki. DJ Jaivane revealed that they met with the producer and the said distributor, who revealed that the album is set to be released on Thursday, 31 July 2025, and it cannot be pushed further as per Smaki's demands.
"While the distributor informed us that the album release cannot be halted at this stage, they have committed to updating the credits in the days following the release to ensure Smaki 08 is rightfully acknowledged for the songs he worked on."
Netizens have likened Jaivane to DJ Maphorisa, who has continuously been hit with gatekeeping allegations.
DJ Jaivane buys new car
In a previous report from Briefly News, DJ and music producer DJ Jaivane raised eyebrows when he bought his second car in just a week after purchasing a new one.
Many netizens flooded the comment section with their reactions to Jaivane's car shopping spree.
Source: Briefly News
