22nd June, 2012
Gabriel Oche-Amanyi, popularly known as Terry G, is currently enmeshed in another song cloning scandal. This time, a budding dance hall artiste, Olumide Awolaja a.k.a. Olumix is contesting ownership of a song entitled Jah Elo with the Akpako Master.
Olumix, a 25-year old Mass Communication student of Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH said; “The truth is that some months after my club banger Jah Elo was released, Terry G cloned the song and released it into the market. I never knew this until some of my fans called my attention to it and when I listened to the track, I felt bad that an artiste of Terry G’s status could do such a thing to an upcoming artiste like me, who ordinarily should be encouraged by him.
“When you listen to my song and his version, you can’t but acknowledge that it was a brazen theft of intellectual work. I cut the song in November, 2010 and released it same month while Terry G cloned it and posted it online in October, 2011. It is sad that while the song on the online site bears my imprimatur, the credit for the song goes to Terry G and even his photograph is emblazoned on the track,” he said.
Olumix claimed he has been inundated with calls from people, urging me to seek redress, “but I am considering available options before taking action on the matter.”
In his reaction, the Media Manager of Terry G, Alex Ozone, told P.M.Entertainment that “those guys are just seeking cheap publicity and attention. Terry G is too big to be joining issues with people like that. And to put the records straight, there was nothing like that.”
—Bayo Adetu