Burna Boy and Davido are both embroiled in high-profile copyright lawsuits in the United States, accused of stealing songs from fellow artistes, according to reports.
Just two weeks after Davido was hit with a lawsuit by four Nigerian artistes over alleged theft of the track “Work,” Burna Boy has now been dragged to a US federal court by Haitian music legend Fabrice Rouzier. The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of New York, accuses Burna Boy and French-Haitian singer Joe Gilles (Joe Dwet File) of infringing on Rouzier’s 2002 song “Je Vais” in their collaborative track “4 Kampe II,” released in March 2025.
The legal battle began in late 2024 when Joe Gilles released the original “4 Kampe,” which Rouzier claims was based on his song without permission. Despite a cease-and-desist letter and Gilles’ alleged admission of infringement, the remix featuring Burna Boy was released, intensifying the dispute. Rouzier asserts that the remix includes similar lyrics and music composition, notably the French line “Chérie, ou sou sa kampe” (“Darling, let’s do this in the standing position”), mirroring his original work.
Rouzier accuses Burna Boy of knowingly collaborating on the remix despite awareness of the infringement, resulting in significant damages including lost profits, opportunities and harm to his reputation. He is seeking compensatory and exemplary damages, reimbursement of legal fees and a court order to prohibit further use of his music, image and likeness in connection with the disputed songs. Rouzier also demands the destruction of all infringing copies of the music videos.
This lawsuit against Burna Boy follows closely on the heels of a similar case against Davido, who was sued by four Nigerian artistes in the United States over allegations of stealing their song “Work.”
The back-to-back legal challenges highlight growing concerns over intellectual property rights and copyright enforcement involving top Nigerian artistes on the international stage.
Neither Burna Boy nor Joe Gilles has publicly responded to the lawsuit as of now. The outcome of these cases could have significant implications for the music industry, especially regarding the protection of creative works and the accountability of high-profile artistes.
