Earlier this week, 2face Idibia's legal representatives, 960 MusicGroup, had brought forward a case where they allegedly accused a budding singer, Ewa, who had released a song - Crazy In Love - of illegally manipulated and super-imposing2face Idibia’s vocals in her recently released soundtrack: “Crazy Love”. Now there's a new twist to the case.
Ewa's legal representatives, Avante & Schmidt Law Firm, have released a response to 2face, expressing their displeasure over the publication, and stating that they find the insinuation and allegation offensive, defamatory and unfortunate, stating their belief that the story was put forward with malicious intent to bring down Ewa's reputation before her family, friends, fan-base, business colleagues and the general public.
Read there letter below.
We are solicitors to Ewa-a Nigerian-based upcoming performing & recording artiste, and Vintage Ventures- a subsidiary of theVintage Media Group & artist managers of Ewa; hereinafter referred to as “Our Clients”, and on whose instructions we write.
We have received notice of a publication purportedly circulated around various media houses by ‘960 Music PR Team’ alleging, in unequivocal terms, that the aforementioned recording artiste (Ewa) illegally manipulated and super-imposed 2face Idibia’svocals in her recently released soundtrack: “Crazy Love”.
Not only do Our Clients find the insinuation and overall literature of the aforementioned publication offensive, defamatory and unfortunate, Our Clients also believe it was worded with intent to bring down their reputation before its family, friends, fan-base, business colleagues and the general public.
It is, for the purposes of clarity, pertinent that we categorically state the following:
1. That in November 2013, Our Clients were approached by a music production outfit, who claimed to have the exclusive rights to the aforementioned vocals as studio-performed by 2face Idibia;
2. That on or around March 2014, our clients paid a considerable sum to this production outfit to source and secure the proprietary rights to the vocals for the purpose of Ewarecording the soundtrack: “Crazy Love”, purely for promotional purposes;
3. That the soundtrack: “Crazy Love” was recorded and released to the general public primarily for promotional purposes, and without any intent to publish or perform the track for any form of remuneration;
4. That it is regrettable that, from the language of the publication, the aforementioned producers have in fact turned out to either not have any proprietary right to the vocals as performed by 2face Idibia, or, for reasons best known to 2face Idiabia and/or his team, have had this proprietary right revoked by the said composer;
5. That, save for the absence of any intent by our client to profit from this track, this is an ordeal not dissimilar to a situation of misrepresentation of vocal ownership which 2face Idibia notoriously found himself embroiled in, vis-à-vis his production and subsequent sale of a soundtrack titled: ‘Flex’¸ allegedly featuring American Artiste- R.Kelly, and without his express, verbal and direct consent, and published in your client’s album “Unstoppable”, sometime in 2009;
As such, Our Clients view the publication circulated as completely inconsistent, and we totally condemn in the strongest terms, the said publication aimed at tarnishing the image that Our Clients are working assiduously to build through hard-work, dedication and self discipline.
Our Clients have been devastated by these publications, and this development has greatly affected Our Clients’ business, image, reputation and state of mind. Our Clients have been inundated with, and are grateful for, all the calls and text messages by fans, friends & well-meaning Nigerians, who have all expressed shock at these publications and allegations. Needless to say, Our Clients remain firmly committed to recording and performing songs that will captivate its fan-base for many years to come.
Signed: C. Okafor ESQ.For: AVANTE & SCHMIDT Law Firm
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