It appears that it is going to take a while before singer Cici is officially released from controversial record label Ambitiouz Entertainment.
Sunday World understands that the muso has set her lawyers on Ambitiouz Entertainment in a bid to sever ties with the controversial record deal.
This as Ambitiouz Entertainment boss Kgosi Mahumapelo told Sunday World that Cici, born Busisiwe Thwala, is still signed to the label despite showing interest to leave.
The feuding between the award-winning singer and her boss comes after the label hit the song Thula, where Cici is featured by DJ Zinhle, with a copyright strike.
It also removed the song from streaming sites Apple Music and Spotify a month ago.
The song was returned to streaming sites after negotiations between DJ Zinhle and Mahumapelo resulted in Ambitiouz Entertainment being credited as the official record label.
Mahumapelo said he is the one who claimed copyright on the song because Cici is still contracted to his record label.
“The artist [Cici] is still signed to Ambitiouz Entertainment. Yes we did lodge claims,” Mahumapelo said.
In July, DJ Zinhle took to Twitter to to raise her frustration after Mahumapelo lodged a claim against the song, which was doing well on the airwaves and streaming sites.
“I’m exhausted … I don’t know why #Thula is not available on Apple Music and iTunes. We are figuring it out,” she wrote at the time.
“Never had to fight so much for a song ay … It’s available on other platforms.”
Sunday World understands that Mahumapelo has not given Cici clearance despite the parties having had a verbal agreement in January for her to be released from the stable and to be signed to her sister’s agency The House of Thom.
The singer’s sister and new manager Sannah said the matter has escalated and is not in the hands of company’s lawyers.
“The matter is being dealt with by her legal team for advice therein and upon her instruction,” Sannah said.
A source said the verbal agreement, which has now come back to bite Cici, leaves her with not much leg to stand on.
“They only had a verbal agreement with Kgosi [Mahumapelo] before she left in January,” said the source.
“Now she is doing so well with all these songs and obviously he wants his share of the money.
“That is why he is holding her on ransom and keeps removing her songs and asking for song credits.”
Meanwhile, Mahumapelo is also embroiled in another legal fight with his former artists Blaq Diamond after their music was removed from streaming sites including YouTube for copyright claims by Ambitiouz Entertainment.
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