Haitian music legend, Fabrice Rouzier, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Nigerian Afro-fusion star Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The case also lists French-Haitian singer Joe Gilles, known professionally as Joe Dwet File, as a co-defendant.
This legal action comes just a fortnight after another Nigerian superstar, David Adeleke (widely known as Davido), faced a similar copyright infringement lawsuit in the U.S., in which four Nigerian musicians accused him of unlawfully appropriating their song Work.
According to court documents obtained by Peoples Gazette, Rouzier alleges that Burna Boy and Gilles illegally incorporated significant elements of his 2002 hit track Je Vais into their joint single 4 Kampe II, which was released on 28 March 2025.
Here is the link for the music video ;
https://youtu.be/KHOSr53EPCQ?si=Ww9ZUL4tyKa7ERG8
The plaintiff asserts that the song infringes upon his original storyline, musical composition, sound recording, and visual content without obtaining his consent.
The dispute reportedly began in autumn 2024, when Gilles released the original version of 4 Kampe, which Rouzier claims was based on Je Vais. Following its release, Rouzier issued a cease-and-desist letter to Gilles, who, according to the suit, subsequently admitted to using Rouzier’s material without authorisation.
Despite this warning, Gilles went on to collaborate with Burna Boy on 4 Kampe II. Rouzier contends that the remix further intensified the infringement by featuring lyrics and stylistic elements allegedly taken from Je Vais—including the French phrase “Cherie, ou sou sa kampe” (“Darling, let’s do this in the standing position”), which he argues closely mirrors the lyrics and theme of his original song.
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Rouzier maintains that Burna Boy was fully aware of Gilles’ prior admission yet chose to proceed with the collaboration regardless. He argues that this has caused ongoing damage to his brand, earnings, and professional prospects.
As part of his legal demands, Rouzier is seeking compensatory and exemplary damages, reimbursement of legal fees, and a court injunction to prevent further use of his image, likeness, and creative works in connection with 4 Kampe and 4 Kampe II. He is also requesting the court to order the destruction of all copies of the infringing materials.
This latest lawsuit adds to mounting copyright concerns involving Nigerian artists in the U.S. entertainment scene.
