Yanga Chief Accused of Stealing Hit Song ‘What If’: “He Used My Melodies Without My Permission”
- KG Smallz is pointing fingers at Yanga Chief and the Gqom duo CampMasters and claims they copied his song without his permission
- KG Smallz claims Yanga Chief used the melodies from his 2024 song Umphefumulo Wam featuring Beekay Monalayzzar on his hit What If
- The House music producer also claims CampMasters copied his work on their song featuring DJ Tira
Source: UGC
Bathong! South African hip-hop musician Yanga Chief is being accused of stealing a song from another artist. The song in question is What If, which became Yanga Chief’s biggest hit in four years following its release.
Yanga Chief accused of stealing hit song
The Utatakho rapper reminded South Africa why hip hop was once the biggest genre in the country with the release of his sophomore album, Lord Faku — The Life Of A Dyan. The album produced the deeply introspective hit song What If, which became popular on music charts and social media, especially TikTok.
Now, award-winning house musician KG Smallz accuses Yanga Chief of stealing the melody that forms the What If instrumental, as reported by TshisaLive.
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Speaking to TshisaLive, the musician, born Khotso Potsane, claims that Yanga Chief copied the melodies from his 2024 song Umphefumulo Wam featuring Beekay Monalayzzar.
“A month ago, I experienced the same challenge from hip-hop artist Yanga Chief when he released 'What If' where he used the melodies from 'Umphefumulo Wam' without my permission,” he stated.
KG Smallz also accused Gqom duo CampMasters of stealing parts of his song, claiming the duo used them in their song Umthandazo featuring DJ Tira.
"CampMasters chopped the song and used its melody on their song," KG Smallz said.
TshisaLive didn't manage to get any comments from CampMasters or Yanga Chief as they were unavailable at the time of writing. KG Smallz revealed that he has not contacted either Yanga Chief or CampMasters regarding the issue.
Yanga Chief makes history
Meanwhile, Yanga Chief made history with his sophomore album Lord Faku — The Life Of A Dyan.
The album reached number one on the South African Spotify daily charts, with his single What If topping the charts.
Source: Getty Images
The Eastern Cape-born rapper broke records when it reached number one on the South African Spotify daily charts.
Following the album's release, What If became the number one rap song in Mzansi, with his album taking the number one spot in the hip hop category and the number two spot in all genres.
Master KG in court over alleged song theft
Yanga Chief is not the only one getting cooked for allegedly stealing a song. Master KG is also getting dragged before a judge to explain why he allegedly stole Jerusalema.
Briefly News reported that the global hit Jerusalema has been the subject of legal battles since it became a viral dance phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Master KG is expected to be in court again regarding the song’s ownership.
The Limpopo-born hitmaker is being dragged to court by Charmza, the DJ who alleges that he is the brains behind the award-winning song. ZiMoja reports that Master KG’s former record label Open Mic Production, online licensing platform Africori, and musician Biblos are also expected to appear in court for trial from 17 November 2025 to 25 November 2025. The trial period can also be extended if the matter isn’t finalised by 25 November 2025.
In June 2022, Charmza, the DJ, listed Master KG and two others as defendants in a lawsuit for copyright infringement he filed at the Pretoria High Court. In his court documents, the Limpopo-born DJ wants to call three witnesses to support his claim that he deserves to be credited for Jerusalema.
Yanga Chief discusses friendship with AKA
Briefly News reported that Yanga Chief left Mzansi in its feelings after he discussed his friendship with the late AKA.
The What If rapper got visibly emotional in an interview with DJ Fresh while recalling how AKA noticed and supported him early in his career.
Fans were moved by how Yanga Chief struggled to hold back tears as he spoke about his close friendship with the Congratulate rapper.
AKA was shot dead in Durban on February 10, 2023, and while suspects have been arrested, speculation continues about the motive behind his killing.
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Source: Briefly News
