JazziQ Drags Music Distribution Company For Exploitation. Tumelo Manyoni known professionally as Mr JazziQ, is a South African Amapiano DJ and record producer. He is best known for being a former member of the amapiano DJ duo, JazziDisciples.
The star took to social media to call out Electromode now known as Africa In grooves music distribution company for removing his music on streaming platforms. He also gave them a timeline as to when to put back songs like Maba Jabul’abantu on DSP’s by today, Monday the 6th of February. “Electromode, now known as @AfricaIngrooves will soon have to account for their unethical business practices. The days of exploiting black talent are over. If the Amaroto, Maba jabul’abantu and other catalogue is not put back on DSP’s by Monday, there will be a price to pay,’ he wrote.
The 27-year-old, who was born Tumelo Manyoni, has been one of amapiano’s torchbearers as the genre has gone global over the past few years. While churning out hits at a rate comparable to fellow heavyweights DJ Maphorisa, Busta 929 and Kabza De Small, JazziQ has established himself as a producer and DJ in South Africa. He has also been nurturing his independent label, Black Is Brown Entertainment.
JazziQ’s rise to amapiano royalty has been swift. He was first introduced to the scene as one half of the amapiano duo, JazziDisciples, alongside long-time collaborator Josiah De Disciple, who he met in high school. The song that put them on the map was their 2018 single, Long Lasting.
“That was actually the first amapiano music video,” JazziQ said. “We shot it at a big amapiano party called House of Piano that used to happen every year. It was mandatory for us to be there because we were driving the culture. It was massive, it was crazy. People loved what was happening in the video and the [party energy] is what people loved. It was the first video that’s just instrumentals, there were no lyrics, nothing.”
