Nigerian Afrobeats star D’banj has disclosed that his legal representatives have taken steps to address the unauthorised use of his hit track Oliver Twist by American music legend Marc Anthony.
During a conversation on Adesope Live, D’banj shared his reaction to discovering that the lead single—and title track—of Marc Anthony’s 2024 album Muevense carried elements of his 2012 classic.
While he admitted to feeling proud initially, the lack of clearance prompted him to turn the matter over to his legal team.
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“Marc Anthony sampling my song was one of my greatest highlights last year,” D’banj said. “He released an album last year and the title of the album and the track one was a sample of my song Oliver Twist. I listened to it and it was just like a Latin version of Oliver Twist.”
Although flattered, D’banj explained that the business aspect of the industry couldn’t be ignored.
“At first, I was happy because of who he is, but my legal team and the business side of it…. He didn’t reach out to me before sampling it. The song wasn’t cleared and he put it out officially, lead single and title of the album. I don hammer… God works in mysterious ways. I’m so happy those are the advantages of the digital era. The good thing about it is that it is already released. My legal people are handling it and I know that they are going high but deep down I still admire Marc Anthony. We have to clear it.”
The situation has sparked conversations online about global music influence and copyright accountability, as Afrobeats continues to reach new audiences around the world.
Watch him speak below…
