Nota Throws Shade At Usimamane’s Spotify Milestone With Blistering Remarks

Nota Throws Shade At Usimamane’s Spotify Milestone With Blistering Remarks. In an era where digital metrics define success, South African hip-hop artist Usimamane has achieved a historic milestone with his debut studio album DAYS BEFORE MAUD, officially surpassing 30 million global streams on Spotify.

Released under the banner of independent resilience and raw artistic expression, the 2024 project has now carved its name into the history books as the first debut studio album by a South African hip-hop artist to cross the 30-million mark on the platform.

2022Africa’s Post confirmed the achievement on June 13th with a celebratory post that read simply, “20th: DAYS BEFORE MAUD by @usimamane has officially surpassed 30 Million streams globally on Spotify.”

But as the applause echoed across the timeline, controversy wasn’t far behind. Outspoken music executive and commentator Nota Baloyi poured cold water on the celebrations with a blistering remark: “30 million streams are meaningless if you can’t even sell 300 tickets!”

Nota’s comment reignited the perennial debate in South African hip-hop about digital success versus real-world impact. Is streaming dominance enough to build a legacy, or should ticket sales and live audience engagement still be the gold standard?

While Nota’s criticism sparked heated debate, many fans defended Usimamane, pointing out the growing disconnect between traditional music industry metrics and modern consumption patterns. In an age of playlists, algorithms, and global discoverability, streaming numbers can reflect influence in ways that ticket stubs simply don’t capture.