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We will be ready for any legal battle’ – Distruction Boyz on stolen song claims

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PHOTO: Supplied
PHOTO: Supplied

Cape Town - Omunye by Distruction Boyz was easily the biggest song of 2017 – it catapulted the DJ duo into instant stardom and even made their debut album go gold.

Their success, however, wasn’t with controversy. Late last year reports surfaced that the hit song was stolen from another South African DJ, DJ Lag, and even threats of legal action were made.

City Press reported that a forensic music investigation commissioned by DJ Lag’s manager, Sevi Spanoudi of Black Major, revealed the beats on Omunye and DJ Lag’s Trip to New York were identical.

Now in a statement sent to DRUM, DJ Tira – who is Distruction Boyz’s manager – sets the record straight about the on-oing allegations.

“Omunye was written and produced over an instrumental by DJ Mphyd, who supplied it to Distruction Boyz,” he began.

“No part of any recording by DJ Lag was used in creating Omunye.”

Tira added that they felt the parties involved in these allegations used their access to major media platforms to generate sensational stories to discredit their names and destroy their brands as well as put doubt in the minds of their industry peers and fans.

“It’s easy to see how the artist [DJ Lag] is sadly being used for parasitic self-promotion by people who need work at all costs from the creative community of our industry,” Tira said, speaking about an article on the case written in Sunday World.

The statement also mentioned that the DJ duo and Tira would ready themselves for a legal battle if need be.

“We will ready ourselves for whatever legal battle comes our way."

“It is sad to see the extent to which some people will go in trying to propel themselves to the tip at the expense of the hard work we have put into artisst, DJs, producers and performers.”

City Press, however, reported that Tira and representatives of DJ Lag are currently in talks over a settlement.

“We’re in talks to try and resolve this issue peacefully for the sake of the sound [gqom] that is currently ruling the dance scene and being warmly received internationally,” Tira allegedly told City Press.

Sources also reportedly told City Press that DJ Lag will soon be credited as a songwriter as well as licenser of the sound recording copyright on Omunye.

DJ Lag wasn’t available for comment.

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