Entertainment

Is Mr. P guilty of stealing Rudeboy's song? [Pulse Explainer]

Published

Monday, 19 May 2025, 1:54 am

Is Mr P guilty of stealing Rudeboy039s song Pulse

Is Mr. P guilty – Iconic Nigerian music duo…

Iconic Nigerian music duo P-Square have been at loggerheads for the better part of a decade over differences that are family and business-related.

On the business side of their dispute, both parties have accused each other of non-remittance of royalties and copyright infringements. In the latest development on their ongoing feud, Paul Okoye AKA Rudeboy has claimed ownership of the song ‘Winning’ recently released by his twin brother Peter Okoye AKA Mr. P.

In an Instagram post, Rudeboy accused Mr. P of stealing his song titled ‘Winning’ which was released as part of a two-track EP on November 8, 2024. Rudeboy went as far as posting his demo version of the record which he accused his twin brother of recreating word for word.

In his defense, Mr. P claimed the song was co-written by them and produced by a producer he employed to work on the proposed P-Square reunion album.

Rudeboy’s claim of copyright infringement is one that has continued to plague the Nigerian music industry where the works of creatives are being used without due process.

Barrister Olarewaju Bello

Intellectual Property Lawyer Barrister Olarewaju Bello shares valuable insights on Rudeboy’s claim of copyright infringement as it relates to Nigerian laws.

On Rudeboy’s claim of copyright infringement

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Barrister Bello points out that sound recordings are protected under the Nigerian Copyright Act.

“The exclusive rights as stated in Section 36 of the Nigerian Copyright Act provides that ‘if anyone does or causes any person to do an act, which constitutes a violation of the exclusive rights conferred under this Act that would be classified as infringement’. These rights are provided for provided for under Section 12 of the Act which spells out the nature of rights in a sound recording. One of the rights here in Section 12(f) is the right to “distribute to the public, for commercial purposes, copies of the work, through sale or other transfer of ownership provided the work has not been subject to distribution authorised by the owner.”

He further highlights that The effect of this is that whoever releases a song commercially without the permission of the right holders would have violated the provisions of the Copyright Act.

“According to information available publicly, the P Square duo had made the song “Winning” together and since there is no agreement assigning the rights to Mr P to make him a sole owner, the alleged infringement can be substantiated. This position is also in line with the famous case of African Songs Ltd. V Sunday Adeniyi (King Sunny Ade) where the court held that it is illegal to commercially exploit a musical work without authorization of the owner,” he explained.

It would follow that the aggrieved party, in this case, Rudeboy, will have to prove that he’s the sole owner of the song. The demo version appears to be prima facie evidence of his ownership. Mr. P on his part, asserted ownership by claiming he co-wrote the song and paid the producer who put it together.

With a dual claim to ownership stemming from the former entity known as P-Square, it might be difficult to ascertain the actual ownership except through an interrogation of the claims of both parties by a competent court of justice.

Barrister Bellow however advised that the way to avoid these issues is for both parties to take legal steps to fully dissolve P-Square as an entity and agree on a sharing formula of its assets.

“When two or more people have operated as a single entity for a long time, dissolving such singular entities to individual brands does not start and end with a public or press statement. Dissolution should commence with negotiations and meetings with the affected individuals with their legal representatives to split the catalogues and assets jointly owned over the years. The purpose is to split rights and claims on works jointly owned (including unreleased works). Following these legal steps can potentially prevent disputes and embarrassment as it is in this case.”

In the meantime, Rudeboy can take certain actions if he’s convinced his intellectual rights were breached by Mr. P.

“He can issue a “takedown” notice action or approach a court of competent jurisdiction to address the case,” Barrister Olarewaju Bello said on the steps Rudeboy can take to strengthen his position.

It appears that Rudeboy has been working to take down the song as alleged by Mr. P in a post on his X.

Mr. P claims Rudeboy has been attempting to take the song down
#guilty #stealing #Rudeboy039s #song #Pulse #Explainer

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'There is more to music than talking about money and women' – Ruggedman

Published

5 hours ago

May 18, 2025

Julie

Veteran Nigerian rapper Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, has said that the essence of music goes beyond singing about themes of money, women, sex, and drugs.

Zeroing in on Nigeria, Ruggedman urged artists to draw inspiration from the country’s situation in the creative process of making music.

The veteran rapper said this while speaking in an interview with Sunday Scoop, noting that he believes music is a tool for spreading information.

He said, “There is more to music than talking about money, women, sex and drugs. From the start, I have always known music to be a way of spreading information, so that can’t change with me.

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“The situation in Nigeria is more than enough to fuel any creative choice to speak through music.”

Speaking further during the interview, Ruggedman addressed the recent backlash against celebrities who were criticised for not publicly advocating for the release of social media personality, VeryDarkMan. The veteran stressed that advocacy was a personal choice that individuals must be allowed to make on their own.

The ‘Opomulero’ singer also spoke about his foray into acting, revealing that he started acting in the late 90s when he took on roles as an extra.

He said, “My going into movies didn’t start today. I featured as an extra (waka pass) in a few movies by the late Francis Agu in the late 1990s. I love movies and have always wanted to act and produce movies or TV series.”

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On how he handles criticism of his decision to transition into acting, the veteran rapper explained that, as a critic himself, he’s able to see criticism as feedback and a way to learn and improve his craft.

“As a serious critic myself, I am open to and take criticism well because it’s one of the ways you learn and improve. I definitely love the praises too because it means one is doing well,” he said.

In February, Ruggedman, who is 51 years old, revealed why he’s still not a husband or father.

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Entertainment

Nigerians are too judgmental – BBN's Doyin says no more participation in reality shows

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2025

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Former Big Brother Naija housemate Doyin David has said she will never again participate in any Nigerian reality TV show, revealing the reasons behind her decision.

Doyin, who was one of the housemates on the Season 7 and All-Star editions of the popular Nigerian reality TV show, made the declaration in a recent podcast.

Citing how her previous participation in reality shows negatively impacted her mental health and public perception, Doyin hinted that she’s open to appearing on a reality TV show outside the country.

Doyin explained that she found her experience on Nigerian reality TV shows challenging for reasons she blamed on the organisers of the shows and Nigerians who she described as ‘too judgemental’.

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She faulted the organisers of Nigerian reality TV shows for intentionally misrepresenting the personalities of participants. She insisted that the way some people see her, which is down to how the show portrayed her, is not who she really is.

In addition, Doyin declared that no amount of money on offer would make her take part in another Nigerian reality TV show.

She said, “When you go on a reality TV show. They portray you how they want to portray you. Not everything is how you really are, but they’ve given everybody an impression of you, and some of those impressions are not true.

“There’s a lot that people think about me and think I am, in terms of my personality, that is really not who I am at all.

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“Being on a reality TV show, my experience was very challenging mentally, very exposing. I wouldn’t do it again for any amount of money. Except it’s a reality TV show outside the country, then I’ll probably take it. But Nigerians are too judgmental, so no, I’m not blessing them with my presence ever again.”

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Entertainment

PHOTOS: Davido performs groomsmen duty at manager Asa Asika's wedding

Published

11 hours ago

May 18, 2025

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Nigerian afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, was on groomsmen duty this weekend at the wedding of his long-term manager, Asa Asika.

Asa married his love, Leona Adesanya, a couple of days after their engagement was announced on social media.

On Saturday, May 17th, the lovebirds held their traditional wedding in Lagos, which included Davido and the 30bg crew.

As expected, Davido was on hand to show support to his manager, who has been with him since the start of his music career.

In the presence of family and friends, Asa and Leona had a wedding rich in beauty and emotional moments, with Davido’s speech at the ceremony a major highlight.

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In his heartfelt speech, Davido recounted how he and Asa worked hard together to build their music empire from absolutely nothing.

Davido hailed Asa for being more than just his manager, saying he’s his ‘shield’, his sanity and his brother in every battle.

He said, “Seeing you stand beside Leona, with peace in your eyes and love in your heart — I couldn’t hold it in. Not just because of the man you’ve become, but because of how you became him. Nothing was handed to us. We built this through fire, faith, and a bond that never broke.

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“We didn’t chase the spotlight. We stayed rooted. Loyal to our story, loyal to our people. We didn’t sell out — we carried the culture, even when it felt heavy. That’s why the blessings never left. Because we never left us behind.

“You’ve been more than my manager. You’ve been my shield. My sanity. My brother in every battle. When the lights were off and it got dark, you stayed. And even now, with the world at our feet — you’re still that same solid soul I started with.”

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