DJ Fresh sues Sunday World

No Image

On January 21, 2007 the Sunday World splashed a shocking story on its front page with the headline: "Deejay Fresh Stole My Song." That headline and story had everyone in Botswana talking and wondering how our star export to South Africa could do such a thing. Radio stations and people in the streets were shocked that Fresh could be hit with such damaging allegations.

The full story, which was written by one Ngwako Malatji, appeared on page two of the same paper. It accused DJ Fresh of stealing a song, Kom Kyk, from a group called Thabz Le Madonga. DJ Fresh did not take kindly to this story and got his lawyers to write a letter to the newspaper. In the letter (a copy of which showbiz has seen), his lawyers stated that DJ Fresh's tune, "Ghetto Funk", uses a sample that the lawyers say is "a software sample freely available for use to licensees". They say the same sample was used on Kom Kyk, the song DJ Fresh is accused of stealing. The letter states that "the track was produced by a third party" and that DJ Fresh "had nothing to do with the recording or remixing of the track".

"By no stretch of the imagination can the conclusion and defamatory headlines and article reached by the journalist be supported as being true or fair and self-evident," the letter further states. "The article demonstrates negligence on behalf of the journalist in relation to our client. The article is false and unlawful."

Editor's Comment
BPF should get house in order

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has this week rightly washed his hands of the mess, refusing to wade into a party squabble that has no clear leadership and no single version of the truth.When a single party sends six different letters to the Speaker’s office, each claiming to be the authoritative voice, it is not just confusion, but an embarrassment.Keorapetse is correct to insist on institutional boundaries. Parliament...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up