Cassper Nyovest has challenged Mthandeni SK to a boxing match. Picture: Collage
The 30th South African Music Awards (Samas), held over the weekend, were meant to celebrate the brilliance of South African artists but the evening ended in division and disbelief.
Tyla not winning the coveted Record of the Year award has ignited a fierce debate across social media, with various public figures, including rapper Cassper Nyovest, weighing in on the controversy.
Tyla, who enjoyed an incredibly successful year on the charts and gained international acclaim with her hit single "Water," was seen by many as the deserving recipient of this accolade.
However, her absence from the winners' list left fans questioning the integrity of the voting process.
Nyovest, well-known for his strong opinions and significant influence in the industry, used his platform on X to voice his astonishment at the omission.
"No ways. Tyla won a Grammy for Water, bro, but she don't get the SAMA for Record of the Year at home? Haha, y’all are playing games," he tweeted, echoing the sentiments of numerous fans who felt that local recognition should be equal with international success.
No ways. Tyla won a Grammy for water bro but she don’t get the Sama for record of the year at home ? Haha y’all are playing games.
— Don Billiato (@casspernyovest) November 2, 2024
While Nyovest’s sentiments resonated with a considerable section of the audience, not everyone shared this view.
Critics responded by suggesting that award outcomes should reflect local music consumption patterns rather than being measured against overseas achievements.
"She could have been cheated locally... that's possible... HOWEVER ... We cannot & should not benchmark American success to automatically mean South African success," wrote @GodPenuel.
Others even argued that the South African music scene has evolved beyond merely emulating global trends.
In a surprising twist, the growing debate reached Mthandeni SK, who won this year’s award for his song with Lwah Ndlunkulu titled “Paris”.
Taking to Facebook, he addressed Cassper's comments.
"uCassper Nyovest yilabafan abasindwa zikhindi le ko Hip Hop uzovuka ngathi la Ku Maskandi ngizolishaya lelidada," he posted, implying that Nyovest, a figure from the hip-hop genre, was encroaching upon the maskandi space to regain fame.
Responding to the backlash, Nyovest posted a mix of jest and apology. He wrote: “Hey baba. Don’t be emotional, I never said anything about you. I just said Tyla had a bigger song, it won a Grammy and I felt like it deserved to win Record of the Year."
However, he didn’t stop there. He then issued a rather unconventional apology, suggesting a boxing match as a resolution to their misunderstandings.
"Mthandeni SK I’m sorry you felt offended by my comments that Tyla had a bigger song and deserved song of the year. I never meant any disrespect or malice.
“I’m not the type to act hard , the tough guy act isn’t me at all but I do like to box so if you wanna take it there, we can definitely go there. Nka go kwala matlho!!!”