Popular Afrobeats legend D’banj has said that his lawyers contacted American music legend Marc Anthony over the unauthorized use of his 2012 global hit, “Oliver Twist.” He recently shared that Marc sampled “Oliver Twist” in the title track of his 2024 album, “Muevense”, without permission.
Speaking during an interview on Adesope Live, D’banj disclosed that the legend failed to clear the rights before releasing the song.
According to him, even though Marc Anthony sampling his music initially made him happy because of his legendary status, he had to involve his legal team since he didn’t follow due process.
“Marc Anthony sampling my song was one of my greatest highlights last year.
He released an album and the title and track one was a sample of Oliver Twist. It sounded like a Latin version. I was initially happy because of who he is, but my legal team had to step in,” he said.
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Despite expressing admiration for Marc Anthony’s artistry, the “Fall In Love” crooner maintained that artists must always learn to abide by copyright rules, especially when money is involved.
D’banj concluded by saying that his lawyers are already working on his deserved compensation for the breach of his musical rights.
“He didn’t reach out to me before sampling it. The song wasn’t cleared and he put it out officially.
I don hammer… God works in mysterious ways. The good thing about it is that it is already released. My legal people are handling it and I know they are going high,” he added.
