Allow us to refresh your memory just a tad bit. In case the name Rea Gopane does not sound familiar to you, you may remember that in 2022 there was someone who accused Bonang Matheba of drug use and introducing her ex-boyfriend AKA to cocaine. Alas, Rea Gopane is that someone.
The remark garnered him a R500,000 lawsuit from the Queen B herself. Additionally, a request that he retracts his statement and issues a public apology by Bonang’s legal team.
Though the apology has been issued, the controversial social media personality has since ventured into various forms of work to pay the money owed to Bonang. These ventures include adult entertainment, and most recently, music. Having debuted his music career in October of 2025, his music has only recently gained traction in January of 2026, but listeners noticed that there is something quite unusual about his viral single “suka!”
After the song made it into the top 10 Apple Music South African charts, currently at no. 6, several users pointed out that song was made using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Garnering a mix of acceptance and rejection from social media users.
Rea Gopane is a hustler, and I respect the hustle. He found a way to make a hit using AI, and that’s genius. Instead of criticizing him, we should be encouraging more artists to incorporate AI into their music making. AI is just a tool, and how you use it is what matters.
— S I H L E T H E P L U G (@RealSihleIV) January 22, 2026
Although it seems that some users on X do not mind that his music is composed using AI, other users have condemned his “cheat code” across X and on TikTok.
What's your hot take on this story?
Rea Gopane has blocked me for being against his AI released music. That’s fine. But I will not stop being anti-AI music. There’s way too many undiscovered vocalists and producers for us to be lazy indulging in music generated by talentless people who are looking for a quick buck!
— K4 (@hgh4hours) January 22, 2026
Even if Rea Gopane blocks us, oksalayo AI production is not the reality we should be moving with🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
— misspianodigest betway premiership champion❤️🏴☠️ (@PIANODIGEST) January 23, 2026
The Amapiano community rejects Rea Gopane for disrespecting the craft when the heart and soul of the genre is to encourage human connection.
With the rise of AI artists such as Sienna Rose and Olivia B. Moore, people have questioned if the use of AI in music is ethical or not. It isn’t fair that there are individuals born with the talents to contribute to the music industry and sacrifice so much of themselves and their lives that are now faced with instant music as competition. Music that has no connection to the listeners.
However, realising that he has a fee to settle, Rea Gopane has a valid reason to pull at all straws to pay off the lawsuit.
