Toya Delazy Backs Lwah Ndlunkulu, Recalls Trying to Escape Label Contract: "We Are Cash Cows"

• Toya Delazy shared a lengthy post backing Lwah Ndlunkulu and questioning how artists are compensated by record labels
• The singer revealed she went into psychosis while trying to leave Sony, a battle she said took years of her life
• Netizens weighed in on whether record deals are partnerships or, as one user put it, 'lifetime sentences'

Toya Delazy has broken her silence on the music industry's treatment of artists, throwing her weight behind Lwah Ndlunkulu while revealing the personal toll her own fight for freedom from a major label took on her mental health. Posting on X on 11 November 2026, the self-described Afro-Rave pioneer did not hold back, calling out the industry's obsession with showcasing artists’ lifestyles over transparent business dealings. She wrote, setting the tone for a deeply personal thread:

"Sifuna fair splits! Show us the splits, not the cars and houses. Prosperity is not the same as equity."

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Toya Delazy's ‘Sony’ battle

The post took a raw turn when Toya recalled what it cost her to walk away from Sony. She added that the fallout included being shadow-banned and denied mainstream access, which she described as part of a broader industry pattern of "retaining artists as local cash cows rather than empowering them to own and control their careers."

"I remember going into psychosis while trying to leave Sony. It took years of my life, and to this day I am still trying to repair the damage left behind.”

Toya argued that her experience as one of Africa's biggest pop stars deserved public scrutiny, not for pity, but as a lesson for the next generation.

"An artist having a car and a house doesn't answer the question of whether they've been fairly compensated for their work. So, what are the splits saying? Where is the ownership? Where is the transparency?"

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See post here:

Netizens react to the music industry debate

The post sparked a range of reactions from peeps online.

@iambongsi asked:

"Why is it such a mission for artists to leave record labels? The moment an artist wants out, it feels like the label pulls a Death Row or Bad Boy Records on them. Are these record deals partnerships or lifetime sentences?"

@SanJose414 was equally frustrated:

"It angers me off how they always say 'you didn't have a house/car before u met us' like what the actual…they were gonna get those eventually regardless."

@Somnyanya raised concerns about institutional support, noting:

"Bab Dan Nkosi spoke with @DavidMashabela about SAMRO, my heart bleeds for creatives, and it's worse the Sports, Arts & Culture Department don't care about you guys."

@tradersportSA pushed back sharply:

"Go start your own company and see if you would be showing people the split, wena. When you people are hungry, with no opportunity, you sign, sign, sign and after that cry like babies!"

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Big Zulu defended his record label

Big Zulu went on an Instagram Live to address claims made against his record label, Inkabi Records.

The rapper pointed to artists Mdu, Ntaba Yase Dubai, and Lwah Ndlunkulu as examples, citing houses and cars bought while signed to his label.

Source: Briefly News