Artiste manager Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, popularly known as Bulldog, now Bullgod, says Hiplife artiste Obrafour does not have the right to sue US rapper Drake for copyright infringement.
According to him, the voice behind the Killa Cut sound, Mantse, owner of Chale Wote Festival, has the right to claim the intellectual property used by Drake.
Speaking on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Bulldog cited his reasons said: “Because it was only Mantse’s voice that was picked on the song. It was his voice texture, his coinage, if it was someone who wrote for him then we can debate, but this came from him.”
“Obrafour had no right to sue. If anyone has the right it’s Mantse… Because if you listen to the sample, it was only Mantse’s voice. Although it’s a body of work, it’s his voice that was sampled and an a cappella, and he wrote part of the song.
“So this is a straight IP matter and it is Mantse that owns the sole right. Then when he takes it he can give Obrafour and Hammer something out of the whole money.
“Obrafour cannot claim whatever especially when Mantse has come out now, they will do the right thing. He can ask Drake not to pay anything and settle for something else. I thought it was an opening for Mantse… they can get the money,” Bulldog said.
With industry players and lawyers who claim Obrafour didn’t register his intellectual property on time, hence Drake cannot be sued, Bulldog disagreed.
“Everybody gets theirs when it comes to intellectual property… whether you registered or not, you have some rights to it. If someone registers a product of someone else then it means it’s theft.”
Meanwhile, Robert Klah, one of the entertainment pundits on the Daybreak Hitz show disagreed with Bulldog’s statement that only Mantse had the right to sue.
He explained that Obrafour owned the masters of the song hence Drake needs to pay him if it becomes necessary.
“I am not even sure why Obrafour has to involve Mantse. If you realise that someone has infringed on your right you can also submit your suit. Obrafour has got rights to the song,” he said.
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