Possible reasons why Moliy refused Shaggy clearance on ‘Shake It To The Max’ riddim

Legendary reggae artiste Shaggy has called out global Ghanaian sensation Moliy for refusing to clear the instrumental of her “Shake It To The Max” song for him and other artistes to ‘ride’ on the riddim.

The development has triggered conversations about music ownership, publishing rights, and the strategic decisions artistes make when handling a breakout record.

UK-based Ghanaian talent manager and music publisher, Mark Darlington Osae, has weighed in on the matter.

In a video shared on social media on March 2, 2026, he offered context on why Moliy might have made that decision and stated how it could have been handled differently.

Custom production and ownership structure

According to Mark Darlington, the first issue might be how the song may have been structured legally.

First of all, the song was reportedly custom-made for Moliy. If that is the case, the producers would typically own the rights to the production.

However, Moliy would own the masters. This means that if someone wants to use the master recording, it would require a discussion between Moliy’s team and the producers to determine whether others should be allowed access.

In essence, while Moliy owns the final recording as released, the underlying instrumental, commonly referred to as the riddim, would likely belong to the producers.

Shaggy calls out Moliy for denying him clearance on 'Shake It to the Max' riddim

Any additional versions built on that instrumental would primarily benefit the producer through publishing rights.

Who benefits when others ride the riddim?

Mark Darlington questioned how the move of other artistes jumping on the riddim would directly benefit Moliy.

He said, Moliy did not create the instrumentation or the rhythm, in this case.

The producers created it, so generally, anyone jumping on it would benefit the producers through publishing and additional exposure.

In practical terms, Mark explained that every new artiste who rides the same riddim increases its commercial footprint. That translates into more publishing income for the creators of the beat. For Moliy, however, the gain may not be as straightforward.

However, one does not know what agreement she had with the producers of “Shake It To The Max,” and that is important.

According to the music publisher, there is another angle to consider. Moliy is still a fairly new artiste, and this was a breakthrough song for her.

If major artistes had jumped on the rhythm with their own versions, they could easily have overshadowed her.

With their numbers and global reach, the spotlight might have shifted away from Molly.

For a new artiste, a breakthrough record is often a defining moment. Allowing bigger, more established names to dominate the same instrumental could risk shifting public attention away from the original performer.

The risk of being overshadowed

To illustrate his point, Mark Darlington painted a scenario involving global stars.

He said, “Imagine Shaggy doing a solo version on the rhythm. We already know there is a remix featuring Sean Paul, but imagine Sean Paul releasing his own standalone version, along with other big artistes doing the same. At that point, many people might not even know who Moliy is. So, it is possible she was protecting that aspect of her brand and moment.”

Here, the concern is not about ego but positioning. In the dancehall tradition, riddims often outlive the first song on them. If bigger acts take over, the narrative can quickly shift.

“That said, it could also have worked in her favour. If big artistes jumped on the rhythm, it might have led new audiences to discover Moliy. So, there are multiple sides to it,” he said.

Indeed, co-signs from international acts can introduce an emerging artiste to wider audiences. The outcome could have gone either way.

The producer’s perspective

However, he said from a producer’s perspective, it would have been a major win.

Every new version means more publishing income, since they are the creators of the rhythm. That is where the real long-term money is. So, for them, it would have been a big plus.

Mark Darlington further stated that if Moliy owned the rhythm or the instrumentation outright, then it would have been different.

In that case, it might have made more business sense to let others jump on it, similar to how trending rhythms often attract multiple artistes who all benefit from the wave.

If she controlled both the master and the underlying production, expanding the riddim to multiple artistes could have created a broader income stream that directly favoured her.

“It is a tricky situation. I understand why she would want the attention to stay on her, especially since it was a breakthrough record. On that basis, I would not fault her,” he added.

An alternative approach

While acknowledging her position, Mark Darlington suggested a middle ground.

“If I were advising, though, I might have suggested allowing others to jump on it but keeping elements of her vocals on the new versions.

“That way, she becomes a co-creator on those new works and continues to earn from them. If Shaggy jumps on it and her vocals remain part of the track, she also benefits financially and creatively,” Mark Darlington suggested.

MY POINT OF VIEW: Moliy vs Shaggy

Legendary reggae artiste Shaggy , recently accused Moliy of refusing to clear the instrumental of her hit song with Silent Addy, ‘SHAKE IT TO DA MAX’, for him and other artistes to ‘ride on the riddim’. This is my take on the issue pic.twitter.com/vZ0oHFLihc

— Mark Darlington (@MarkDarlington_) March 2, 2026