Internationally renowned j is knocking on the grave of slain hip hop artist AKA demanding payment for royalties of the popular songs the rapper sampled for his two albums without his permission.
Semenya is allegedly demanding 50% of royalties from two ditties AKA sampled on his two blockbuster albums without obtaining a written consent from the 83-year-old jazz juggernaut.
The music legend has given AKA’S record company, Sony Music, an ultimatum to pay up of face the music.
The startling details were revealed by a source close to the multinational company, which has been contracted by the rapper to distribute and market his music.
The mole, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said Semenya frothed at the mouth last week after discovering that AKA sampled a segment of his old number on the song titled Diary without permission.
Diary is one of the hit songs the Supa Mega, christened Kiernan Forbes, released before he was assassinated in what is believed to be “a contract killing” outside Wish eatery, in Durban, Kwazulu-natal, in February.
“The old man felt that AKA disrespected him and his work because he had previously stolen his intellectual property but later apologised and promised to fix his mess, but sadly he did not. So when he heard that he sampled this one again without permission, he understandably blew his top, demanded royalties,” said the tipster.
Speaking to Sunday World, Semenya confirmed AKA had sampled his song without his permission, saying he had instructed his record company, Gallo, to deal with the late artist’s copyright infringement.
Semenya said AKA first plagiarised his work when he cannibalised his song Matswale and released it as a remix on his Touch My Blood album about five years ago.
He said the sheepish hip hop phenomenon extended an olive branch to him when they bumped into each other at Universal Music’s premises in Joburg, a few years ago.
“Basically, he was a nice young guy. He told me he had done something wrong he was not supposed to do. He then apologised and asked how he could fix it and we spoke about it and he promised to fix things. I told him that the song was nice because music doesn’t to have to be in one style,” said Semenya.
The percussionist extraordinaire said he was gutted when he discovered AKA plagiarised one of his tunes again by sampling verses of his song and weaving them into Diary.
“I got calls from some people who said they were doing a compilation of his songs and enquired whether there was an agreement. I told them we must not fight; we must not make a big fuss about it. I told them our lawyers must handle it,” he said.
He said he was optimistic the dispute would be amicably resolved. “You see, some guys ask for permission, but some don’t. These guys are young, they have to learn this is business. They must do what is correct,” said, Semenya, who is married to singer Letta Mbulu.
– Sundayworld
