Other songs stolen from us

‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ rips off ‘Mbube’

In 2006, the late Solomon Linda finally got credit for his part in the smash Sixties pop hit that has its roots in Mbube, a song written and recorded in the Thirties by the South African singer and migrant worker. For decades, Linda barely received any compensation for the incorporation of his song into what would become a Disney gold mine, ‘The Lion King’. But in 2019, when a new version of the musical starring luminaries like Beyoncé and Donald Glover was launched, including the song sung by Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner, Linda’s family did not benefit as their settlement arrangement with Disney ended on the last day of December 2017. In 2000, journalist Rian Malan laid out in his deeply reported exposé, In the Jungle: Inside the Long, Hidden Genealogy of ‘ The Lion Sleeps Tonight’.

Source: Rolling Stone magazine

‘Culture’ rips off ‘Ice Drop’

American musicians Megan Ryte, A$AP Ferg, and Will.i.am are accused of nicking the beat from their song, Culture, from the 2017 hit Ice Drop, produced by SA’s DJ Lag. The YouTube video for Culture was flooded with South African visitors, who vocalised their anger by hitting the “dislike” button on the video, registering over 15,000 “thumbs down”. Source: Mixmag

‘Light Headed’ rips off ‘Children of the Sun’

There seem to be striking similarities between South African pop star producer Daniel Baron’s 2016 hit single Children of the Sun and David Guetta’s collaboration with Sia, Light Headed. Baron’s song was a massive hit around SA reaching the No 1 spot on multiple radio stations and streaming charts around the country. Source: Good Things Guy