Internationally renowned jazz maestro Caiphus Semenya is knocking on the grave of slain hip-hop artist AKA demanding payment for royalties of 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 musician.
The legendary Semenya has given AKA’s record company, Sony Music, an ultimatum to pay up or face the music.
The startling details were revealed by a source close to the multinational music company, which has been contracted by the rapper to distribute and market his work.
The mole, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said Semenya frothed at the mouth last week on realisation that AKA sampled a segment of his old song titled Diary without his permission.
Diary is one of the hit songs the Supa Mega, christened Kiernan Forbes, released before he was assassinated in what is believed to have been “a contract killing” outside the Wish restaurant in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on February 10.
“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. Sadly he did not,” said the tipster.
“So, when he heard that he sampled this one again without permission, he understandably blew his top and demanded royalties.”
Speaking to Sunday World, Semenya confirmed that AKA had sampled his song without his permission, noting that he had instructed his record company, Gallo, to deal with the late artist’s infringement of his copyright.
Semenya said AKA first plagiarised his work when he cannibalised his song Mmematswale and released it as a remix on his Touch My Blood album about five years ago.
The sheepish hip hop phenomenon extended an olive branch to him when they bumped into each other at Universal Music’s premises in Johannesburg a few years ago, said Semenya.
He explained: “Basically, he was a nice young guy. He told me that he had done something wrong that he was not supposed to do.
“He apologised and asked how he could fix it. We spoke about it and he promised to fix things. I told him that the song was nice because music doesn’t have to be in one style.”
The percussionist extraordinaire said he was gutted when he discovered that AKA plagiarised on his tune again by sampling some of the verses of his song and weaved them into Diary without his permission.
“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 [that] we must not fight; we must not make a big fuss about it. I told them our lawyers must handle it.”
He added that he is optimistic that the dispute will be resolved amicably.
“You see, some guys ask for permission, but some don’t ask for permission. These guys are young, they have to learn that this is business, they have to do things the right way. They must do what is correct,” said Semenya, who is married to iconic songstress Letta Mbulu.
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