Defamation: Pop singers, 2face and Blackface on war path

Apologize to me, or risk being dragged to court —2face
•Rastaman will never apologize to anybody —Blackface

By Benjamin Njoku

THE battle line has been drawn between two Nigerian music icons, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2face and his former label mate, Ahmedu Augustine a.k.a Blackface, as the former has threatened to drag the latter  to court for accusing him of song theft, sabotage, music royalties fraud among other things.

In a letter written to Blackface by 2face’s counsel(Seun Omotoba & Co.)  and dated 5th of May, 2017,  ‘ the African Queen’  singer  asked Blackface to tender an unreserved apology for all the statements he  made and published against him  and  his manager, Efe Omorege.  He gave Blackface seven days to do so, or  he would seek legal redress.

“ We are informed by our Clients that you have made and are continuing to make several false, misleading, malicious and defamatory statements which are calculated to bring our clients to disrepute, and subject them to public public ridicule. Your unprovoked, unjustified and completely unwarranted behaviour will no longer be ignored nor accommodated by our clients,”  the letter partly says. It continues, “We, therefore have the instructions to demand from you as follows:     

1. A general unreserved apology in writing for all the defamatory statements made and/or published by you in the past;
2. Specific written apologies for all the defamatory statements by which you have accused our clients of (a) song theft (b) wishing you dead so as to take your property, (c)corruption (d)music royalties fraud and (e) career sabotage
3. That you refrain from further making any false or defamatory statement about our clients.

The letter stated that if he fails to apologize publicly within seven days of receiving their letter, they would seek legal redress. 2face’s response followed Blackface’s recent interview with an online publication, Premium Times, which was published on April 23,  where Blackface alleged that the pop singer infringed on his copyright by releasing the song ‘Let Somebody Love You’. He also alleged that he has not been compensated for writing ‘African Queen.”

Meanwhile, reacting to the letter, Blackface reportedly admitted receiving a letter from 2face’s lawyer, but insisted that he would never apologize to anybody.  “Rastaman will never apologize to them because they are filled with evil. So, they should go to hell and anything they want to do they should do. But  I know that my lawyers should have served them already. What am I apologizing for?”

“Somebody takes your music and then you apologize? Is that for real? They are really playing with themselves and I think the manager is putting him in a whole lot of trouble. They know they are in a whole lot of trouble. They took a lawyer from Oshodi bridge to write something for them who does not even know how to weigh the case and know what to even write. Illiteracy is around them. They are crazy. They don’t even know what they are doing, “he fumed.

Both 2face and Blackface were former members of the defunct musical group, Plantashun boiz.

The renewed feud between the dancehall veteran and 2face began on January 25, 2016 when Blackface in a series tweets lashed out at 2face and his manager accusing them of stealing his intellectual property. He threatened to take legal action against them.

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