Michael is best known in Zambia for a controversial song entitled Mad President.
It prompted several FM stations to ban it when it was released earlier this year, describing the song as "too radical" for the air waves.

Insulting the president is a criminal offence in the Southern African country, and carries a prison sentence of up to two years.

In Mad President, St Michael sings: "I am the police the judge and jury; I hire and fire at my own desire."

"I make my own rules and I don't need anyone to give me advice. I know everything. I am reason for your fear," he sings.

But Michael says it is not just radical messages in music that has led to their absence from the airwaves.

A BBC report Friday said DJs give massive air play to some songs after the singer offers what they commonly refer to as an "incentive", but which in reality is a bribe, he says.

"This has now affected the royalties we earn from the air play because mediocre artists whose songs play more because of corrupt DJs are the ones earning the royalties," he said.

His proof, he says, is that after a night out buying drinks for DJs, his songs enjoy greater exposure.

"Certain DJs have had drinks with me on my deal and the following morning they are playing my music like nobody's business."

Several radio DJs do acknowledge that corruption has become common in the business.
But those interviewed said would never solicit a bribe to play a tune themselves.

Chazaso Ndhlovu, better known as DJ Chaza to his fans on Hone FM, is one of many DJs working at nine FM stations in the capital, Lusaka.

He says that as a professional music teacher, his main priority is assessing the quality of the music before playing it.

"I don't accept any bribes," he says, however he admitted that some musicians had offered him money to play their songs or had offered to pay him after he plays their songs.

Another DJ, Mbachi Nkhata, who also doubles as programmes manager at Q FM, defends the massive air play some songs enjoy on his radio station.

"We have a quality control system in place and DJs cannot just play anything just because it's Zambian," he says and dismissed allegations of corruption.

Zambia’s Music Copyright Protection (Zamcops) attributes the growing cases of corruption in the industry to the tendency by radio DJs to collect the latest music CDs directly from musicians.

"The procedure is that the musician is supposed to leave the CDs with the radio stations' libraries," Mutale Kaemba, Zamcops deputy general manager, says.

"But the problem is that the upcoming radio stations do not have well established libraries."

She added that Zamcops is unable to step in and stop songs being played, even if there is a case of suspected bribery.

But in the end, she said, it came down to quality and the consumer would ultimately reject music not worth paying for.

These is not only a trend in Zambia but in Malawi DJs have also been criticized at some point of playing music of those musicians who have offered them bribes.