Wizkid and Banky W sued for copyright infringement

This comes after months of Blackface accusing several artists including 2Baba and Wizkid for taking credit for songs belonging to him. Perhaps the most popular of these songs is the hit love song ‘African Queen’.

2Baba and his manager Efe Omorogbe have spoken about the conditions surrounding that song’s production, claiming to have paid Blackface for his contribution to the album.

2Baba and Blackface were members of the trio Plantashun Boiz before its members went solo. Plans to sue Blackface for his comments appear to be on hold since Omorogbe went public with his client's intentions last year.

The song now under contention is ‘Slow Whine’, a non-single track from Wizkid’s debut album Superstar. At the time of the album’s release, the pop act was under Banky W’s EME record label. The album launched Wizkid into prominence and featured such acts as Wande Coal and Banky W. Wizkid is now under his own record label Starboy, as well as Sony Music.

Blackface has maintained his position on ownership of these songs even as he has repeatedly attracted derision for his claims in the media.

“I have remained quiet while my name has been dragged in the mud the past few years,” he posted along with a shot of a legal paper. “Some of Nigeria’s biggest artists have infringed on my copyrights but I always restricted myself to speaking out against this in the media.

“Maybe because I always felt that music is an art and not really a business where you bring in lawyers and all that. That’s why I couldn’t believe when I was sued for N50m [$140 000] by the same people who stole my intellectual property. I have nothing personal against Wizkid and Banky. In fact, I can say I groove to both their music, but the fact is that they stole my song in 2011 and there’s clear evidence to prove it. We’ll allow the court to decide.”

Wizkid and Banky W are yet to respond to Blackface’s claims.