Empty My Pocket

"**Empty My Pocket**" is a song by Lakizo Entertainment and Joeboy, released as a single on June 4, 2021, with production handled by Dera the Boy.

## Controversy

On February 6, 2023, it was brought to attention that Bad Bunny's song, "Enséñame a Bailar," did not attribute musicians involved with "Empty My Pocket" for the interpolation and sampling. Mr. Eazi brought forth the claims publicly after nine months, where "The team at emPawa Africa have attempted to sort this issue amicably since May of last year with our mutual legal teams." He continued, in concerns to intellectual theft, "Afrobeats has become a global phenomenon, and everybody wants to sample a piece of it. Unfortunately, Afrobeats artists, their producers and labels often have to pursue legal means to secure publishing and royalties after songs they originally created are co-opted without credit by other artists." In response to *Rolling Stone*, Rimas Entertainment stated that they had rights to the track legally, with no "proof of ownership" from emPawa and concluded that they "acted properly and has followed standard industry protocols." Eazi's LinkedIn post reads as follows:

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> I am writing this to Highlight Rimas Music and Bad Bunny for the copyright infringement toward afro beats superstar JoeBoy, Denying him and the producer credits and their share in a song they wrote composed and even performed in as Joeboys vocals are used in the Remas released version.
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> The Team at emPawa Africa have attempted to sort this issue amicably since May of last year with our mutual legal teams. But the intent of Rimas Music is clear ie to blatantly appropriate young African creators' work for their gain without Attribution.
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> I founded emPawa Africa to protect and support African Creative Entreupreunors and Artists with a virtuous ecosystem. Believing that Afrobeats and Afropop would be today what we wished then it would become.
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> I am sharing this story even if Plagiarism accusations and copyright infringement lawsuits are nothing new in music, but in this specific case, it is an ill intent of robbery and abuse. As it is taking someone's Song recording it and interacting with condescendence because we are African and independent label?
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> We understand business, we know the value of our culture and friendships.
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Rimas replied:

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> We are deeply concerned by the copyright infringement accusations made by Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade (Mr Eazi), the founder of emPawa Africa, on the track "Enséñame a Bailar." We want to make it clear that at all times, Rimas Entertainment has acted properly and has followed standard industry protocols.
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> Before releasing the aforementioned song, Rimas purchased the master track from record producer Lakizo Entertainment, listed as the track’s creator and owner in numerous public sources. After the song’s release last year, emPawa contacted us, claiming ownership over the master. Our lawyers have had many communications with emPawa in an effort to resolve the ownership dispute between emPawa and Lakizo, but emPawa has so far failed to provide proof of ownership. Instead, emPawa has chosen only to send us a heavily redacted contract that did not confirm their claims and only served to raise more questions about the validity of their claims. Our numerous efforts to obtain the unredacted version of the agreement from emPawa have not been successful. It is entirely untrue that we have been unresponsive. Regarding the song’s composition, emPawa has also failed to forward documents to prove that they are authorized to act on the writer’s behalf.
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> We look forward to resolving this matter cordially and are waiting for emPawa to provide us with the necessary documents that validate their claims.
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At the end, Joeboy and Dëra were credited as songwriters.

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Verse 1]

(*It's-It's Lakizo baby*)

Oya-wa (Yeah-yeah)

Oya-wa (Woah-woah)

No go anywhere, gobe wa

Wetin you get too correct

I fit to marry you for here sha

Oh na-na-na, wait (Ayy)

Wait (Ayy)

I get loving, get way for days

You give me peace, you dey give me grace, oh

Make you no go away, oh no-no-no, no

[Pre-Chorus]

Make we connect, oh

Come and collect, oh

And for your case, oh

I go empty my pocket, oh-oh

Make we connect, oh (Make we collect)

Come and collect, oh (Come and collect)

And for your case, oh

I go empty my pocket, oh-oh

[Chorus]

Empty my pocket, spend all my money

Give you lovin' and doll, ah-ah

Empty my pocket, spend all my money

Give you somethin' on top, ayy-ayy

Empty my pocket, spend all my money

Give you lovin' and doll, ah-ah

Empty my pocket, spend all my money

Give you somethin' on top

[Verse 2]

All the money wey I get is yours

Shey na you wey I dey askin' for?

Make you carry her and go take tour, no-no

She wan rock your body

Fi the early morning

Keeping low key

Mi nah tell nobody

All your body, all over me, yeah-yeah

Oh-yeah-yeah, yo-yo, yo baby

[Pre-Chorus]

Make we connect, oh (Make we collect)

Come and collect, oh (Come and collect)

And for your case, oh

I go empty my pocket, oh-oh

Make we connect, oh (Make we collect)

Come and collect, oh (Come and collect)

And for your case, oh

I go empty my pocket, oh-oh

[Chorus]

Empty my pocket, spend all my money

Give you lovin' and doll, ah-ah

Empty my pocket, spend all my money

Give you somethin' on top, ayy-ayy

Empty my pocket, spend all my money

Give you lovin' and doll, ah-ah

Empty my pocket, spend all my money

Give you somethin' on top

[Outro]

(*It's-It's Lakizo baby*)

Joe, Joe, Joeboy pon deck, oh-yeah

## References

1. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (9 February 2023). "Bad Bunny Accused of Copyright Infringement for Not Crediting Joeboy on 'Enséñame a Bailar'". *Rolling Stone*.
2. ↑ Yongo, Sughnen (16 February 2023). "The Ongoing Saga of Mr Eazi and Bad Bunny's Copyright Infringement Claims". *OkayAfrica*.
3. ↑ Corcoran, Nina (9 February 2023). "Bad Bunny Accused of Copyright Infringement Over Alleged Joeboy Interpolation in "Enséñame a Bailar"". *Pitchfork*.