South African rapper Fifi Cooper has opened up about her difficult experience with her former record label, Ambitiouz Entertainment. In a recent interview on the G2G Podcast, the Motswako artist spoke honestly about how she was treated by the label’s owner, Kgosi Mahumapelo.
Fifi Cooper, who was signed to Ambitiouz from 2015 to 2017, said she never saw her full contract and had no idea how much money she was supposed to earn.
“Many things were not transparent. I didn’t know what my contract looked like,” she said.
She also shared that she was only paid a set salary of R25,000 per month, no matter how many shows she performed. “I’d do 15 shows a month and ask: ‘How did we get to this amount?’ He wouldn’t answer,” Fifi said, accusing Mahumapelo of not explaining how her performance money was handled. “I felt like it was not fair because I deserved to know. He was not being transparent…”
Fifi Cooper also said that once new artists joined the label, she felt ignored and sidelined. She noticed that Ambitiouz was giving more attention and resources to the newcomers.
“The more new artists came, the less my brand was taken care of,” she explained. She said she was forced to use her own car for gigs while the tour bus she once used was handed over to other artists. “I was driving my private car to shows while the bus I used to use was given to others,” she added.
According to Sunday World, in 2017, Fifi Cooper left Ambitiouz Entertainment along with other artists like A-Reece and B3nchMarQ. After their exit, the label took her to court, accusing her of copyright infringement and stopping her from performing songs she had recorded under their name.
At first, the Johannesburg High Court ruled in Ambitiouz’s favour. Fifi was ordered to pay damages and cover legal fees. This legal battle became one of the most talked-about fights between artists and record labels in South Africa.
