Record label Mabala Noise has cleared the air on the company’s contract dispute with rapper Zola‚ saying that they never signed the artist. This despite the veteran musician being unveiled at the label’s launch party last year.

Speaking to TshisaLIVE this week‚ Mabala Noise spokesperson Mhlo Gumede confirmed that Zola was not on the record label’s books.

“He did not sign with Mabala Noise but we do have an open working relationship with him‚“ Mhlo said.

He went on to explain that Zola was unveiled with the label’s other artists last year because‚ at the time‚ they believed that a deal to bring him on board was close.

“We really wanted to sign him and even unveiled him with our other artists because the deal to sign him was so close to being completed. But unfortunately we had to put the deal on ice because of a contractual issue‚” Mhlo said.

Although he would not go into detail‚ Mhlo said that the dispute centred around a disagreement over “percentages“.

Despite the dispute‚ the company insists that there is no bad blood between them and Zola.

“There is no bitterness or ill feelings between Mabala (Noise) and Zola. He speaks to our label managers and artists all the time and it is a good relationship. Perhaps one day he will be a Mabala Noise artist but not at the moment‚” Mhlo added.

Speaking to Sunday Sun recently‚ Zola said that he was confused by the situation and was still representing himself at the moment.

“It looks like I’ve never been a member of Mabala Noise. I get my own gigs through my phone or texts. I couldn’t figure out whether I’m signing as a musician or personality. I didn’t sign the contract because I know what happens in that contract. I tried many times to meet up with management over contractual issues‚ but it’s either they’re out of the country or busy with other things‚” he told the paper.