It is alleged that Master KG, real name, Kgaogelo Moagi is not the original owner of the track Jerusalema. He was apparently not even in the room when the song was created.
Local artists Charmza The DJ (Presley Ledwaba) and Biblos (Ntimela Chauke), who claim to be the original creators of the monster track. Have instituted legal action against Master KG.
His record label Open Mic Productions and distributor Africori SA whose majority shareholder is the Warner Music Group.
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Master KG has once again been hit with a lawsuit in regards to Jerusalema. Though he continues to hype the success of Jerusalema. Charmza is still looking to get what he thinks is rightfully his.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the duo claimed that they and vocalist Nomcebo Zikode had not been paid a cent. Since the commercial release of the song in 2019.
“The song was the result of a collaboration between music producer Charmza The DJ, who composed the music for the song, and Nomcebo Zikode, who wrote the lyrics for the song and performed it for the master recording. It was also produced in studio by Charmza The DJ,” the statement read.
The pair claimed that no contracts were entered into and no rights clearances were secured. This is from the copyright owners for Master KG or his record label. To either release the song and commercialise it under their name and for their profit only.
“Master KG and Open Mic released the recording of the song without obtaining any rights clearances from the artists who originated the song and produced the recording. They also did not secure a licence or clearance from Biblos, who owns the sound recording that was sampled in the track,” the duo reported.
Biblos also claimed not to have been compensated. For featuring his own voice on the song where he says “Eish!”, which was sampled 114 times without his permission.
Stephen Hollis was in Newzroom Africa explaining the whole lawsuit saying Nomcebo did not quite like Master KG’s beat. However, he discredited that and said Nomcebo actually came to his studio because she liked his beat more.
The reason nomcebo came to My studio is because she liked my Jerusalema beat that I sent her weeks b4 studio day..and yall are out here saying nomcebo ddnt like my beats on studio day and she liked other guy beats ai!!take me to court n stop doing interviews https://t.co/VrPqQvKuxY
— MASTER KG (@MasterKGsa) July 25, 2022
Master KG even reacted to Musa Khawula’s post saying, “I mean they can’t even spell my name well coz they don’t know Fokol..looking forward to you reporting the outcome of the case if there’s gonna be any.”
Master KG has been served with a lawsuit for the copyright infringement of the global hit Jerusalema.
Charmza the DJ and Biblos have instituted legal action against Master KG, Open Mic Productions and distributor Africori. pic.twitter.com/2wOUc6ySnp
— Musa Khawula (@MusaKhawula) July 26, 2022
A representative from the duo’s legal firm, Adams & Adams, said: “The public was enriched by being able to enjoy the Jerusalema song, and Master KG and Open Mic have been enriched by the revenues earned from the commercialisation of the song. Our clients want their creative contributions made to the song and the recording to be recognised, and for their fair share of earnings generated to be allocated to them.
“To date, earnings have been consumed by Master KG and Open Mic and their distributors Africori and Warner Music, while the true originators and key creative contributors without whom the song would even have existed have cruelly been cut out of the remuneration chain from the get-go, and they are not even recognised as creative contributors to Jerusalema to this day.”