Mr Eazi Accuses Bad Bunny of Copyright Infringement
Written by ABR on 08/02/2023
On Monday, Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, popularly known as Mr Eazi, posted a few tweets that called out Bad Bunny and his team at Rimas for using Joeboy‘s artistry without properly crediting him in the song “Enseñame a Bailar,” and for “denying [Joeboy] and the producer… their share in a song they wrote composed and even performed in.”
The record in question is Joeboy’s Empty My Pocket,” a happy-go-lucky, rhythmic Afrobeats record released in 2022.
In a separate string of posts, Mr Eazi states that Joeboy’s “Empty My Pocket,” was infringed upon, and in a separate LinkedIn post, he calls the incident a case of “ill intent and abuse.”
In that LinkedIn post, Mr Eazi writes:
“I am writing this to Highlight Rimas Music and Bad Bunny for the copyright infringement toward afro beats superstar JoeBoy, Denying him and the producer credits and their share in a song they wrote composed and even performed in as Joeboys vocals are used in the Remas released version.
The Team at emPawa Africa have attempted to sort this issue amicably since May of last year with our mutual legal teams. But the intent of Rimas Music is clear ie to blatantly appropriate young African creators’ work for their gain without Attribution.
I founded emPawa Africa to protect and support African Creative Entreupreunors and Artists with a virtuous ecosystem. Believing that Afrobeats and Afropop would be today what we wished then it would become.
I am sharing this story even if Plagiarism accusations and copyright infringement lawsuits are nothing new in music, but in this specific case, it is an ill intent of robbery and abuse. As it is taking someone’s Song recording it and interacting with condescendence because we are African and independent label?
We understand business, we know the value of our culture and friendships.”
Nigeria’s Joseph Akinwale, professionally known as Joeboy, got this start in 2017 on Mr Eazi’s record label emPawa Africa. His genres, which include Afro-pop and R&B, have made him one of Nigeria’s music fan-favorites. Bad Bunny’s team is yet to reach out.
u201cYo @sanbenito you need to tell your lawyers to stop messing around and clear that Joeboy rip off on your albumu201d— Genius (@Genius)
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u201cBadbunny @sanbenito incase you are not sure what song Iu2019m talking about nnJoeboy song – https://t.co/K6Cx2au7eZ nnhttps://t.co/nbstmxjieP ( Your song ) nnAinu2019t no way you produced and sang an Afrobeat record lolu201d— Genius (@Genius)
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ABR GH