Papi
Papi, a founding member of the popular Ghanaian Hiplife group 5Five, venting his spleen has charged that Ghanaian record producer Appietus owes his group a lot of money in music royalties.
Papi, yesterday, Tuesday, January 17, 2023, was on CTV's Class Showbiz hosted by Sammy Flex.
The rapper told Sammy and his panellists that it was through Bulldog, now Bullgod, that they first worked with the renowned Appietus.
In a barter, they had given their song 'Odo So Me Mu Remix' featuring Samini to the record producer, who in turn gave them the beat for their 'African Girlz' song which would signal their breakthrough.
Following, this Papi narrated how 5Five worked on two other songs including one with Lynx Entertainment founder Richie Mensah; 'Pretty Girls'. By this time, they were at loggerheads with Bullgod.
They went to see Appietus with the beat for South Africa's DJ Cyndo's 'Amerido' song and asked him to sample it for a new song. According to Papi, he and group member Killy paid Appietus for the beat.
With the song done, they went to see Bullgod with hopes to impress him by the song and reconcile.
5Five, according to Papi, had gotten the song titled 'Muje Baya (Move Back)' on numerous CDs.
“We printed CDs and everything with our own money,” because they did not want Bulldog to bear all the promotional burden. While Bulldog shared CDs in his care with people, they also shared theirs at Legon. Around this time, IWan’s album launch at Aphrodisiac Nite Club, Bulldog put 5Five on the stage to perform. "Radio presenters were present including KOD," and after the show, they started playing the song on radio.
“I think, in a week, the song was crazy. In the schools and everything… It was crazy,” Papi continued.
Performing at the 4Stye TV Music Video Awards 2010 took to the fever to another level. “The moment we went on stage, we saw people like Nadia Buari and everybody dancing…,” he recalled.
The contract and relationship with Bulldog ended soon.
2012, they recorded Bossu Kena. According to Papi, he has been trying to revive the group for sometime now but Killy and Gino are yet to come along with him. They have simply been full of excuses, Papi said.
In 2021 he released 'Boys Taya' as a solo act. It was not until 2022 that a digital marketer informed him that all of 5Five's old songs and hits could be uploaded to digital stores for money.
Prior to this, all their songs "were only on YouTube." Papi confessed they had thought Bullgod was "chopping" their money. He earnestly apologised to their former manager live on the show: "Bro, I beg you. Forgive me. I didn't know. The one we were confiding in about missing proceeds from our music turned out to be the one who was stealing from us. Forgive me. [It's] from my heart." He pounded his chest with his right fist.
Last year, Papi again said, “April thereabouts,” 5five found out, with the help of the digital marketer, that Appietus’s Creative Studioz was enjoying royalties from 5 songs from their catalogue without their knowledge: "Hm Ah, African Girls, Bossu Kena, Muje Baya (Move Back), Just Stop."
“He’s put them on his Appietus Compilation, Vol.1, 2, 3. We’re on all of them. He never told us anything about it," Papi said.
“Some digital platforms had US$5,000, some had US$4,000, and I know that 'Muje Baya' is a megahit… Up till now, he’s not given us the information to see the proceeds from Apple Music," an angry Papi said.
He also made it clear upon the discovery that a company was enjoying their royalties, they called Appietus about it but he denied knowledge of it; "He was acting naive about the whole situation. He said he'd call them [company collecting the royalties] and check [confirm]." There were times Appietus even told Papi and co to be "wild" on Bullgod and take their money, insinuating he, like the Hiplife group's members believed Bullgod was the one being sneaking about the money.
At this juncture, the Adabraka-based rapper cited Appietus' recent Citi TV interview where he said since uploading his music onto the digital stores, his account gets credited every "three months," and he spends the money even though he does not know the source.
"As grown as you are, you spend money you can't trace back to its source," Papi bemoaned. "Are you dumb?"
"Appietus has been giving stories since last year," he again said and indicated the star record producer has failed to produce the full bank statements for the royalties he has been enjoying from songs by 5Five.
"Since 2013, he owes us a lot of money. You calculate. Meanwhile, the public will be accusing saying, 'Musicians are irresponsible with their money; they only spend it on women and hard drugs'. Meanwhile some industry players or gatekeepers are behind it all," he bemoaned.
When Appietus was called up by the Class Showbiz crew, he denied the allegations and threatened legal action for defamation.
He indicated only 'African Girlz' and 'Tinkolo' were barter songs.
He challenged Papi to mention the amount he paid for 'Muje Baya'. Papi's response was, "How much do you charge?"
The exchange descended into insults and profanity.
Papi asserted that 'Muje Baya' "made" Appietus who he is in the industry.
Appietus claimed 70 per cent of the songs they made together were successful because of him.
