Master KG, real name, Kgaogelo Moagi, could be slammed with millions of rand in penalties if a court deems that the applicants of his lawsuit have valid merits to support their claim of copyright infringement over Jerusalema.
Who filed a lawsuit against Master KG?
Two local musicians, Charmza the DJ and Biblos, sent shockwaves across social media when, in a joint statement, the duo announced their decision to haul Master KG to court for unduly benefitting from a global smash hit that he allegedly played no part in creating.
According to Charmza and Biblos’ version of events, the song Jerusalema was conceptualised in August 2019. Master KG had allegedly invited the producers to his studio to work on music for an artist he’d been grooming, Nomcebo Zikode.
The duo travelled from Limpopo to Master KG’s sound den, and allegedly, Charmza not only produced the song, but he also may have written it in its entirety.
“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 joint statement reads.
Charmza and Biblos insist that Master KG was not even present in the studio when the magic was conjured. However, three years later, with Jerusalema still the biggest single release out of Africa, only Moagi has reaped the fruits of its success.
Charmza, real name Presley Lebogang Ledwaba, and Biblos (Ntimela Chris Chauke) have taken matters to the judiciary, asking for an undisclosed amount in damages from Master KG, his company Open Mic Productions and the distributor, Africori South Africa.
So, who exactly owns ‘Jerusalema’?
Already, Master KG has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of yielding to Charmza and Biblos’ ownership claims.
In a tweet, the Wanitwa Mos producer blasted the joint statement as fake news and insisted that he had produced Jerusalema weeks before the contentious studio session.
“The reason [Nomcebo] came to my studio is because she liked my ‘Jerusalema’ beat that I sent her weeks b4 (sp) studio day..and yall are out here saying [Nomcebo] ddnt (sp) like my beats on studio day and she liked other guy beats ai!! Take me to court [and] stop doing interviews,” he exclaimed.
The lingering question that will form part of the lawsuit’s basis is: Who exactly owns Jerusalema?
According to the plaintiffs, not only was Master KG not present when the song was made but no contracts were ever signed. The subject of ownership rights in the music business is a sticky one, to say the least.
In this scenario, to determine the rightful copyright owner of Jerusalema, we would have to determine a number of things:
- Who laid out the song’s instruments and compiled them into the final mix?
- Who composed the lyrics to the song?
- Who mixed and mastered the recording?
- Who owns the equipment that was used in the creation of the song?
At this time, the answer to each of these questions is twofold, and at the centre is one person who can shed more light on what actually transpired in the creation of Jerusalema — Zikode.
It remains unclear, at this juncture, when the matter will be heard in court.