October 23, (THEWILL) – Singer, Zaaki Azzay, is revisiting the copyright infringement claims he levelled against Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, aka Mr Eazi, his younger colleague.
In 2019, the singer accused Mr Eazi of lifting ‘Marry Am’, his 1996 single, for the production of ‘Do You’, a collaborative single with Michael Owusu Addo, aka Sarkodie, the Ghanaian rapper.
“This is a massive violation of my musical copyright dues and the illegal exploitation of my intellectual property as I haven’t been contacted for permission/approval for the lyrics of my song to be used,” Azzay said in 2019.
Mr Eazi had also admitted to lifting part of Azzay’s song, but added that the issue would be resolved quickly.
But Azzay said Mr Eazi has been running away from him and also stopped picking his phone calls.
He wondered why Mr Eazi would be accusing Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper, of copyright infringement when he has refused to resolve his issues with him.
“It’s high time African artistes wake up to know that copyright violations are stealing and theft and hence a big crime,” he said.
“He took my song ‘Na Me Go Marry’ without permission or acknowledgment, without doing the needful.
“He called me on the phone, he begged and said he would do the needful. Up till today, Mr Eazy has been running. You can be suing someone and be running.
“He is not picking calls. His lines are no longer going through. Would you do the needful or should I sue you too? I no wan fight.”
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
