That last part of
Michael Jackson’s Starting Something that sounds like the combined utterances
of a Pentecostal prayer warrior and a Woli of the Cele extraction was “stolen.”
So also were materials from Marvin Gaye’s works for Robin Thicke’s Blurred
Lines. In these two instances, reparations were made when the owner of the
stolen goods cried out. There must be many more
examples out there. In Nigeria, a rash of such accusations have become as
common as news of individuals executing disappearing acts on billions of Naira
(although no one has told me were EFCC was when such acts as they are now
revealing were happening live). The situation is not helped by an obvious
avoidance of court action by the accusers.
The latest is Blackfaze, again, accusing 2Face of song
theft. We have heard of Olamide strolling out of D’banj’s studio with a stolen
line that is not even creative. Same Olamide was accused of stealing the
Shakiti bobo dance: a move that is just an expansion of an everyday party
steps. And Durella, the self-acclaimed King of Zanga, even alleged that
D’banj’s captivating swag and stage presence was originally his. Ha! Remember
the Mo’hits crew? Their hands movements were refined by Olu Maintain into the
Yahooze dance: ask D’banj. Wizkid has not been left out of the stealing band.
His Ojuelegba was allegedly stolen from… who? Blackface! In all these, both the
accusers and the accusees give the impression that their creative abilities are
limited or were never there. Why shout now and expect us not to link it with
you forthcoming album launch?
Far be it from me to support plagiarism. One of the core
courses I took at Lagos State University, LASU, was solely on proper
referencing. No matter how brilliant your piece is, you will have to be another
Jesus to have original answers to every question. They told us of mighty men
brought down by plagiarism. A minister (not in Nigeria) has had to resign over
this. (Google it. No space here. Also check up Martin Luther King Jnr. on this)
So, yes, in music there have been cases of “theft,” but
with credit to whom it is due. Whereas in other climes, such theft as in the MJ
and Thicke’s cases, is pointed out with the purpose of getting credit and
benefit for the original property owners in accordance with the relevant laws,
in Nigeria it seems the accusers just want publicity or they have gone dormant
in the creative department.
Although we do not know it yet, we are witnesses to the
end of creativity in an era.
You only hear these kinds of wash-rotten-linen-in-public
fights with thiefers and the thiefees that are gradually “dying.” Ara redid
Olomi, featuring 2face. When she went to Baba to confess, he already had the
song in his I-pad. He just prayed for her. Again, if a genius touches your
song, you would be happy. Just imagine Asa rendering a soul version of
Kolomental in that smokey voice with her dreads taking on their own lives. Faze
would be a fool in geometric proportions not to beg her for a duet.
If you want publicity, put more into your work and stop
pushing down gullible Nigerians’ throats a 12-tracker of songs that will be
replaced in our earphones by another set of rubbish after one month. Meanwhile,
any time we hear Guitar boy… or Sweet Mother… or Omo pupa o…, we cry for our
beloved moneybags-CD-in-the-back-pocket-today-singers— DJ, track 6!
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