“Boss Zonke” was one of the biggest hip hop songs South Africa has known, and it continues to resonate long after it was released. However, controversies have continued to plague the making of the song.
During a recent interview with Everything South African Music (ESAM), the song’s vocalist, Sanelelasta Mkhize, claimed that she didn’t receive anything whatsoever from the song’s making. Instead, she claimed that she was offered R3,500 for her contributions and given a contract to sign.
She noted the amount was ridiculous, and she didn’t sign the contract, which would have deprived her of any claim to ownership of the song and make it wholly Riky Rick’s. she claimed she never signed the contract. Yet, to this day, the song is known as Riky Rick’s.
Looking back, she noted that she wished she had signed a contract before singing. She didn’t, and now there’s no way she can claim ownership of the song. It’s even more complicated because Riky Rick is dead. The celebrated rapper hanged himself in February after a protracted battle with depression.
If you haven’t listened to “Boss Zonke,” you can check out the music video of the song at the end of this post.
