Mantse Aryeequaye has initiated legal action against Hammer and Obrafuor regarding his deep-toned ‘Killer cut blood’ catchphrase, which he incorporated into Obrafour’s timeless ‘Oyene song’ that was released more than two decades ago.
The founder of the Chalewote Street Art Festival felt compelled to pursue this course of action after Obrafuor filed a lawsuit against Canadian artist Drake for utilizing the catchphrase in his song without obtaining prior permission from Mantse.
In his lawsuit, Mantse alleged that Obrafour falsely claimed ownership of the phrase and proceeded to copyright it in the United States in September 2022.
He stated that “his artistic work, in the form of a spoken word titled “Killer Cut”, was used on the song ‘Oye Ohene’ by 1st defendant (Obrafour) with permission, but without transfer of any rights, nor permission to 1 defendant to register the work as his own, or receive any payments from its subsequent use by anyone in any form.”
He added that “the “Killer Cut” which was used by the 1st Defendant in his song, is separate and distinct from the song recorded by Defendants. It was recorded separately and subsequently infused into the 1st Defendant’s song by the 2nd Defendant (Hammer), mainly to enhance/improve the song.”
Mantse claimed that upon learning of Drake’s request to use a portion of the ‘Oye Ohene’ track, he arranged a meeting with both Obrafour and Hammer. However, none of his requests were fulfilled.
He later discovered that Obrafour had registered the track, including the phrase, in the US, effectively infringing on his (Mantse’s) intellectual property rights and attempting to exclusively profit from his work.
Mantse strongly condemned the rapper’s actions, labeling them as malicious and driven by a clear intention to divert and exploit royalties that rightfully belong to him.
He firmly asserts his ownership of the intellectual property of the ‘killer cut’ and is seeking a court declaration to validate his claim. Furthermore, he urges the court to prohibit Obrafour from demanding or receiving payment for the ‘killer cut’.
Additionally, Mantse is requesting the court to compel Hammer to not only surrender all his works to him but also provide a comprehensive record of all their collaborations, including those used in other tracks.
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