Chaka Demus Warns Artists About Dishonest Middlemen: ‘Wicked Set Of John Crow, Dem!’
Veteran Dancehall deejay Chaka Demus has issued a warning to his musical compatriots in Jamaica and across the world, urging them to be careful of people he describes as unscrupulous “middlemen” and “representatives” in the industry.
Even though he did not go into details, according to the Murder She Wrote artist, he is speaking from experience, having himself been duped by some of these unprincipled persons, multiple times in the past.
“Yes, musician artiste all ova di world; I have suppm weh I waan seh to di I dem. Nuff a di artiste dem suppose to know dis already, but mi a guh seh it again: yuh si when yuh have people a guh represent yuh like dem call demself representative or whatsoeva, or middleman or whatsoeva, be careful a dem yuh hear. A dem a di creature inna di industry,” Chaka Demus said in an Instagram video post.
“Yuh si dem people deh, dem people deh rob yuh an meck bad deals wid yuh. Yuh si any deal weh oonu a meck, meck certain seh di people dem weh a do di deal, yuh have some form a contact wid dem people deh. Else, dawg nyam yuh suppa,” he added.
Chacka Demus appeared to be so incensed by the actions of the unscrupulous agents that he even popped an expletive, something which is very uncharacteristic of him.
“These people in di music industry weh call demself representative or middleman is di wickedest set a john crow dem! Dem bombo hole deh; yuh hear mi tell yuh? Chacka Demus a tell oonu dat. Becaw dem ting yah happen to mi more dan one time. Di people dem weh seh dem a represent yuh or di miggleman, be careful a dem people den… memba dat!” he declared.
Back in 2010, Chaka Demus along with Pliers, his longtime collaborator, sued the record company Universal Music Group, for more than US$10 million in unpaid royalties and trademark infringement.
According to a Reuters report, the suit claimed that Universal Music Group, “misappropriated and diverted monies owed to the act that had major hits, including Murder She Wrote, Tease Me and Twist and Shout.
The suit which was filed at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, claimed that Chaka Demus whose given name is John Taylor and Everton Bonner (Pliers), had signed a worldwide recording deal with Universal-owned label Island Records in October 22 1992, which allowed the two artists to retain all rights to the trademark Chaka Demus and Pliers.
In 2013, after the two parties agreed to discontinue the lawsuit, it was dismissed.
Chaka Demus is not the only artist who have issued warnings/advice to artists in recent times.
In March last year, Sizzla Kalonji implored upcoming Jamaican recording artists to ensure they secure their intellectual property and publishing rights, by engaging in deals that are beneficial to them and not onerous, as has been the case with numerous entertainers in the past.
Sizzla had also urged artistes to try to ensure they obtain ownership of their masters “or go 50-50 wid di producers dem”.
His call had followed an initial one he made in January 2015 at Rebel Salute in St Ann, where he called on Jamaican artists to put measures in place to prevent themselves from being exploited by unscrupulous producers and publishing companies.
In expressing his displeasure at the conduct of the unscrupulous producers and publishers, Sizzla had issued a notification to all royalty collection entities including the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), PRS (Performing Right Society), JACAP (Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers), PMI (Phoenix Music International) declaring that he was the sole author of his songs and had rights to all associated royalties.