DJ Maphorisa Reveals He Rescued Kabza De Small From a Bad Deal, Secured R44m Sony Advance
- DJ Maphorisa made a bombshell appearance on Podcast and Chill, opening up about how he helped secure a lucrative multi-million-rand deal for Kabza De Small
- He revealed he used his industry connections to pull his longtime collaborator out of an exploitative record deal that severely underpaid the amapiano star
- The duo ultimately landed a massive Sony Music deal worth R44 million, which would later help them build their respective record labels
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Source: Instagram
DJ Maphorisa spoke about one of South African music's most talked-about partnerships, and the details are jaw-dropping. During a highly anticipated sit-down on Podcast and Chill on 17 September 2026, Maphorisa laid bare how he intervened to save Kabza De Small from a deal that was holding him back, and what it ultimately cost a major label to secure them both.
Maphorisa did not mince his words when describing the situation Kabza was in before he stepped in. The amapiano heavyweight said his collaborator was locked into a restrictive arrangement that offered little financial reward and even less creative freedom.
How DJ Maphorisa pulled off the rescue
Drawing on his established relationship with Sony Music, Maphorisa used his own leverage in the industry to negotiate a way out for Kabza. "I had to save him from that lame deal," he told the podcast, making clear that loyalty, not business alone, drove the decision.
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The move paid off in a way neither man could have imagined. Sony Music came to the table with a R44 million advance, structured so that both artists received R22 million each. The funds were not pooled but deliberately separated, with Maphorisa's share going towards his Blaqboy Music imprint, also known as New Money Gang, and Kabza's portion channelled into his PianoHub collective. The arrangement was designed to give each man control over his own creative and business ecosystem.
Maphorisa acknowledged that big-label advances carry significant pressure to deliver music consistently and at volume, but he expressed pride in having shifted what is possible for South African artists within the global music business.
Source: Instagram
A brotherhood built before the millions
The financial story is inseparable from the personal one. Briefly News previously reported on how the two first connected in 2019, a moment Kabza has described as life-changing.
"I have always been a big fan of DJ Maphorisa and his work, and so when I first got his call when I was at home in Mpumalanga from him, I felt a lot of emotions, I won't lie, because that phone call was the start of a great career that I didn't expect. Maphorisa changed my life, and that opportunity doesn't come easy or always, so when it presented itself, I grabbed it with both hands."
Maphorisa's revelations came just days before the pair were set to headline the Scorpion Kings Live concert on 19 September 2026, cementing their status as amapiano royalty both on stage and in the boardroom.
Watch DJ Maphorisa's interview below.
DJ Maphorisa addresses Samthing Soweto
In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to how much DJ Maphorisa claims he was willing to pay Samthing Soweto to perform at Scorpion Kings Live.
With a complicated history that has seen both men exchange words on social media, online users were unsure whether Porry's claims were true or not.
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Source: Briefly News
