Nollywood director Yemi Ayebo, better known as Yemi My Lover, has accused Nigerian rapper Olamide of failing to credit him after he named one of his songs after one of his classic movies.
Ayebo said in a recent interview that he was disappointed:
“Olamide never called me when the song was released… I thought I would get a call, at least a feature.”
Ayebo added that although he was happy to be recognized, he was snubbed by the lack of words of the superstar. The song, named after Ayebo breakout 1990s film Yemi My Lover, contributed to the development of the Yoruba musical film.
He also revealed that he suffered years of financial ruin citing piracy as the cause of his demise.
“I spent N50K-N60K to shoot the movie and 90 percent of the proceeds went to pirates”, he said.
Ayebo indicated that he lost everything, not including his car, an office, and some equipment. He has even been forced to sell land and does not even have a house.
His point is very straightforward: artists should be respected, acknowledged and should not be pirated. He wants a future in which creators are not dismissed and marginalized into the industry they contributed.
