South African house heavyweight Shimza has set social media ablaze after accusing a record label of backing a “fake artist” who allegedly used artificial intelligence to recreate his unreleased music.
“AI music is going to be such a problem,” he wrote. “Grootmaan signed a fake artist who used AI to recreate my song from clips they got off my posts.”
His post immediately gained traction, with fans and fellow producers debating whether the music industry is prepared for the growing threat of AI.
According to Shimza, the artist in question has little to no digital footprint. There is also no visible brand presence and only a single song available on Spotify.
That detail raised eyebrows among supporters. They questioned how a seemingly unknown act could release a track so similar in sound and structure to a song Shimza had been teasing.
The label at the centre of the storm, Grootmaan, has not publicly responded to the allegations. Shimza, however, made it clear that his concern stretches far beyond one release. For him, this is about the future of artistic ownership.
“This is just the beginning,” he warned in another post. He was hinting at a music landscape where original ideas can be replicated within minutes.
The online reaction has been split. Some users rallied behind the DJ, arguing that AI poses a direct threat to musicians who preview unreleased work on social platforms. Others were more sceptical.
User @SomashishiniGP commented, “Legally, this is going to be a tricky one. How do you prove AI copied your work if it was never officially released?”
Meanwhile, @AfterEarth added fuel to the debate after sharing clips of both tracks side by side. They wrote, “Both songs sound like they were created with AI.”
That comment sparked heated replies. Some defended Shimza’s signature production style, while others questioned how distinct Afro house sounds can truly be in a genre built on shared rhythms.
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The incident also reignited conversations about how streaming platforms vet music before publication.
If AI can assemble a convincing replica from short social media clips, artists may need to rethink how much they reveal before an official drop.
Technology that once seemed like a creative assistant is now being framed as a potential disruptor. It is capable of blurring the lines between inspiration and imitation.
The music industry is standing at a crossroads. Shimza’s frustration may be the warning shot that forces it to confront the realities of artificial intelligence head-on.
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