Eight months after Ghanaian musician Obrafour initiated a legal action against Canadian rapper Drake for sampling the remix of his song ‘Oye Ohene,’ the song’s producer, Hammer, has finally addressed the matter.
During an appearance on JOY FM’s Showbiz A-Z with Kwame Dadzie, Hammer responded to concerns raised by another musician, Mantse Aryeequaye, whose voice was used by Drake in the sampled remix.
In the aftermath of the lawsuit, Nii Mantse Aryeequaye contended that he should have been included in the legal proceedings because it was his voice that was sampled.
Hammer, however, offered assurance that if the court ruling favours Obrafour, everyone involved in the song’s production will stand to benefit.
This statement emphasises a collaborative and inclusive approach to the potential outcome of the legal dispute.
“It is everybody on the song against Drake. Obrafour is the only one leading the conversation. So I don’t know what the hullabaloo was about,” he clarified.
Responding to questions about how all contributors were included in the lawsuit, Hammer explained that all who were involved in the song were captured in the suit and Obrafour was leading because he was the owner of the song.
He further revealed that Obrafour had a conversation with all parties involved, including Mantse, before proceeding with the lawsuit.
“We are mentioned in the docket. The publishing of the song has Tina, Tinny, Mantse, me, and Obrafour. Obrafour is the one leading because it’s his song. He owns the copyright.
“He spoke to everybody. I connected to the conference call. We were all on the call. We all agreed, and Obrafour went on with the suit,” Hammer confirmed.
Background
Controversy ensued when Mantse Aryeequaye asserted ownership of the phrase ‘Killer cut, blood’ from the 2003 remix of Obrafour’s ‘Oye Ohene,’ a snippet Drake incorporated into ‘Calling My Name.’
Expressing his intellectual property rights through a series of tweets, Mantse criticised the legal action, emphasising that the lawsuit was solely pursued in Obrafour’s name.
Notwithstanding the ongoing legal dispute, Obrafour is actively pursuing approximately $10 million in damages, along with other related claims. This underscores the financial implications at stake in the lawsuit, heightening the significance of the legal proceedings for all parties involved.