Filmmaker Yemi Ayebo, popularly known as Yemi My Lover, has shared his experience with rapper Olamide, revealing that the music star used his name in a song without offering any compensation.
In an interview, Yemi said he was excited when he first heard Olamide mention his name in a song and felt it was a blessing.
“Olamide was the first to sing with my name. I was very happy when I heard the song. I thanked God. God blessed my name, that’s why people used it to sing. Davido also sang with my name, many people made use of it,” he said.
He explained that it was Fuji musician Pasuma who asked if Olamide had compensated him for the name usage and then facilitated a phone call between the two.
“Pasuma said, ‘Yemo, did Olamide compensate you for using your name in his song?’ I said no and that I had never met him before, we don’t have each other’s number. Then Pasuma called him on the phone.”
Yemi said Olamide apologised during the call and suggested they discuss further. However, he claimed that after getting the rapper’s contact, all attempts to reach him failed.
“Pasuma gave me his number and I called Olamide for more than six months and he never picked my call. I sent him messages, he never read them or replied, so I let him be.”
Yemi My Lover rose to fame in the early 2000s with his romantic Yoruba musical Yemi My Lover, which became a hit and earned him his stage name. His popularity in Yoruba pop culture has led to several artistes, including Davido and Olamide, referencing him in their music.
Olamide mentioned Yemi in his 2015 hit ‘Bobo,’ while Davido did the same in his 2012 breakout single ‘Dami Duro.’
As of the time of this report, Olamide has not responded publicly to Yemi’s remarks.