Rising musician Credo V Daniels says he’s tired of people dismissing his hard work by claiming artificial intelligence (AI) made his music.
The 38-year-old singer, songwriter and producer, whose real name is Credo Daniel Mandlhazi, from Elandsfontein, Germiston, and is known for his hit songs Sedilaka, Ngafa and Njalo Njalo from his debut album Still Where We Were. Before stepping into the spotlight, he spent years working behind the scenes as a producer with some of Mzansi’s biggest artists.
Credo has been trending after a recent live TV performance went viral online, with many social media users saying he doesn’t sound like he does on his recordings. Some even questioned whether he can sing, accusing him of relying on AI to create his music.
But the hitmaker believes many people don’t understand what AI actually does.
“I feel like people just throw around the word AI, but they don’t really know what goes into making music,” he said.
Credo said creating a song is a long process that involves writing lyrics, recording vocals, composing melodies and producing the final track.
“There was writing involved in the song. There was recording involved in the song. There was composition involved in the song. People just throw all of that away and think, ‘He just typed something,’” he said.
While he admits to using AI as part of his creative process, he insists it’s only a tool and not a replacement for human creativity.
“The problem is when they utilise AI, they’re taking an existing piece of work without a person’s consent and using it. That is where the problem actually comes in,” he said.
Credo said technology has made it possible for artists to create music in different ways, revealing that he can even build a song on his cellphone before completing the final production.
Despite the criticism surrounding his live performance, the musician says he is focused on making good music rather than worrying about public opinion.
“I think my audience doesn’t really care how the cake is made as long as it tastes good,” he said.
