Wizkid has been Stealing My Songs Long ago – Blackface

Veteran dancehall act and a former member of the defunct Afro-pop singing trio, Plantashun Boyz, Ahmedu Augustine, widely known as Blackface, has
called on fellow musician, Wizkid, to “stop stealing”
his songs.
“I never really wanted to talk about it all this while but after people started checking out my new song,
Killa, many felt Blackface sounded like Wizkid, which I didn’t like. Blackface who spoke exclusively
to Saturday Beats earlier in the week, said the young hip-hop artiste had been copying many of his songs for a long time but he decided to keep quiet just to let peace reign.
The Benue State-born raga performer however said
he decided to speak out now because he could no longer sit and watch someone else take the glory for his efforts.
The latest controversy follows the release of a new song by Blackface titled Killa where he was believed to have taken a swipe on Wizkid for allegedly copying many of his songs especially two tracks from his Dancehall Business album released in 2010.
If you check properly, you would
realise that Wizkid’s hit, Ojuelegba,
sounds exactly the same as the track
13 on my dancehall album released as
far back as 2010. You need to listen to
that album to know what I am talking
about. The song is so similar that I
think it shouldn’t be that way.
Well, in Killa, I sang that “they tried to
copy my melody,” and the bloggers got
a hint of the gist and put their reports
out. What I said is the truth and I am
going to get to the root of this matter
because I deserve justice.
The Ojuelegba song has made so much
revenue for Wizkid. I am not bothered
about that but I want the industry to
be in a position whereby people will
understand that some of the artistes
and the songs they are cheering is
someone else’s efforts, especially
fellow artistes that they are doing
everything to bring down. All they are
doing is to bring down Blackface and
to say that he is not relevant in the
industry. Some people are bent on
killing my legacy. I believe there is
definitely a gang-up against me in the
industry and this has been going on
for a long time,” he said.
Asked if he had taken on Wizkid personally on the matter, the dancehall artiste said he did his best in that regard but that the response from the Star Boy act shocked him.
To get justice on this issue, Blackface disclosed to Saturday Beats that he could seek legal redress if Wizkid or others do not refrain from stealing his intellectual properties.
“There was a time Wizkid followed me
on twitter and I told him that I don’t
want him taking my songs and that if
he wants to do any of my rhythm, he
should let me know. I told him that
because I was just being a big brother
to him. I told him that our songs can’t be sounding so similar and that
if he wants anything, he should let me
know.
But after some time, he ‘unfollowed’
me and it was shortly after then that
the Ojuelegba song was released. I don’t have any problem with Wizkid or any other person, all I am saying is
that they shouldn’t be tampering with
my songs because those are my properties.
Wizkid and I do different kinds of
music and he doesn’t have my type of
skill. I don’t have a problem with that.
I am only bothered when somebody
takes my song and tries to turn it
around into theirs without giving me
due credit,” he said.
Efforts to reach Wizkid to react to Blackface’s claims proved abortive as his phone numbers were switched off. His manager, Sunday Are, couldn’t bereached as his line was switched off as well.
Wizkid has been in the news lately for a similar allegation. Hypertek Music artiste, Dammy Krane, also recently accused him of stealing one of his songs. The controversy degenerated into a physical fracas with Wizkid reported to have thrown a glass cup at Krane which injured him during a night out at a club in Lagos. The two are believed to have
since mended fence.