Producer and would-be chart hopeful Credo V Daniels has pushed back hard at critics who’ve questioned whether artificial intelligence is behind his vocals—just days after his debut album vanished from Apple Music amid growing debate about his use of AI in the studio.
The controversy flared further when a live television clip went viral. Viewers took to social media to claim his on-stage voice didn’t match the sheen of his studio tracks, with some going as far as accusing him of leaning on AI rather than singing for real.
Even with the chatter spreading online, Daniels says he’s not losing sleep over the backlash. He’s framing the debate as a misunderstanding of what listeners actually want: a good sound.
“I think my audience doesn’t really care how the cake is made as long as it tastes good,” he added.
Quick facts
- Credo V Daniels is a producer and aspiring musician facing claims that AI is behind his vocals.
- A live television performance clip went viral, sparking arguments about how his voice compares to studio recordings.
- His debut album, Still Where We Were, appeared to disappear from Apple Music in the days after the scrutiny intensified.
- Daniels says he isn’t worried about public opinion.
- He acknowledges using AI in his workflow, but argues it doesn’t replace his creativity.
- He highlights an ethics concern he believes matters most: using someone else’s work without consent.
Watch the viral performance below:
Daniels is 38 years old and is credited under his real name, Credo Daniel Mandlhazi. He hails from Elandsfontein, Germiston, in Ekurhuleni.
Before stepping into the spotlight as a performer, he built a reputation as a producer working behind the scenes for some of the country’s most recognized artists. He later introduced himself to audiences with songs such as Sedilaka, Ngafa, and Njalo Njalo, all drawn from his debut album, Still Where We Were.
In the days that followed, Still Where We Were appeared to be removed from Apple Music. Neither Apple nor Daniels has publicly confirmed why it was taken down, leaving room for speculation about whether it has anything to do with the AI discussion, a distribution snag, or another cause entirely.
As the controversy continues, Daniels insists the criticism misses the point of how a finished track is actually created. In comments shared with Daily Sun, he argued that people toss around the term “AI” without understanding the full process.
“I feel like people just throw around the word AI, but they don’t really know what goes into making music,” he said.
He described songwriting as a multi-step, layered workflow—one that moves from crafting lyrics to shaping vocals, building the composition, and completing the final production. In his view, those distinct stages are often collapsed by critics into a single accusation.
While Daniels admits AI plays a role in his workflow, he says it functions as support rather than a substitute for his own artistic decisions. He also says the real ethical problem is something different: “taking an existing piece of work without a person’s consent and using it.”
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