Inside Cassper and Zakes Bantwini's Twitter exchange over SA & Naija music

Music heavyweights Zakes Bantwini and Cassper Nyovest shook social media when they traded exchanges over the influence of SA and Nigerian music.

People have BEEN tripping over comparisons between artists from each country, and it was made worse recently when Beyoncé featured a host of African talent on her latest curated album, The Gift.

While tweeps were chucking bricks at each other over which nation's artists did it better on the album, Cassper said 2020 was a time for SA hip-hop to shut down the whole game, worldwide.

His tweet got loads of responses but it was Zakes who took centre stage when he suggested 2020 should be for the whole of SA music to thrive, not just hip-hop.

"2020 for SA music. If you want unity in the industry we must stop being genre based and be music based. If we want to push SA Music to a level where Nigerians are you must think SA music industry then genre movement, period."

Zakes previously spoke to TshisaLIVE about the need for a SA mega artist that could put the whole SA industry on the map.

His comments on SA and Nigeria sparked a massive debate not only on the SA vs Nigerian music issue but also whether Zakes was attacking Cassper with his comments.

Cassper felt some kind of way and took to Twitter to announce that if you have any issues with him, you should call him and not just @ him.

"Nothing! And I mean nothing, will ever come from these back and forths on Twitter. Wanna discuss anything constructive? Rather call the person. Here everything turns into a twar, a joke , an attack or anything but a constructive conversation. I don't advise you do it on this app," he added.

Zakes moved quickly to explain that he wasn't attacking the rapper.

Even Sizwe Dhlomo weighed in on the debate, claiming that the SA music industry is "more formalised" and as a result Nigerian artists are used to hustling and doing everything themselves.

He also said the Nigerian market was bigger and so had more money.

As fans feared a frosty standoff between Zakes and Cass, the Freedom hitmaker promised to call Cass so they could iron out their differences.