Mr Eazi’s record label, emPawa Africa, is facing a demand for $465,612 in legal fees following the collapse of a high-profile copyright lawsuit against Puerto Rican global star Bad Bunny.
The request, filed on 23 March, follows a United States federal court’s dismissal of the case with prejudice earlier in the month, effectively ending the dispute without ruling on the core allegation of copyright infringement.
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The case stemmed from claims by Nigerian producer Ezeani Chidera Godfrey (popularly known as Dera), who alleged that Bad Bunny’s track ‘Enséñame a Bailar’ unlawfully sampled his production, ‘Empty My Pocket.’
The original track was produced for Nigerian singer Joeboy and distributed around 2021. However, the song later became entangled in a separate dispute involving its distributor, Lakizo Entertainment, and was eventually removed from streaming platforms.
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Bad Bunny’s song appeared on his chart-topping 2022 album ‘Un Verano Sin Ti,’ which achieved global commercial success and critical acclaim.
Resolution attempts, lawsuit filing
According to records, emPawa Africa began seeking an amicable resolution with Bad Bunny’s label, Rimas Music, as early as May 2022, requesting proper credit and compensation for the alleged use of the work.
In February 2023, Mr Eazi publicly accused the opposing camp of appropriating African creators’ work without attribution after months of unsuccessful negotiations.
The lawsuit was eventually filed on 2 May, 2025, at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, presided over by Otis D. Wright II. Dera and emPawa Africa were listed as co-plaintiffs, accusing Bad Bunny and his team of copyright infringement through unauthorised sampling.
While the plaintiffs argued that no valid clearance had been granted, the defence maintained that permission had been obtained through Lakizo Entertainment.
Case collapse
Despite the dispute’s high profile, the case never reached a substantive determination on the sampling claim.
Instead, it unravelled due to a series of procedural failures:
In January 2026, Dera’s legal team withdrew, citing “irreparable differences” over strategy.
In February, emPawa Africa was dismissed as a plaintiff after missing court filing deadlines. On 5 February, Dera failed to attend a scheduled discovery hearing.
On 6 March, he missed a key deadline to continue the case.
On 9 March, Judge Wright dismissed the lawsuit in its entirety, stating that Dera had “abandoned this case” and that allowing it to proceed would prejudice the defendants and run contrary to the public interest.
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$465,612 legal request
Following the dismissal, Bad Bunny’s legal team filed a motion seeking to recover $465,612 in attorneys’ fees and costs, specifically from emPawa Africa.
In the filing, the defendants described the lawsuit as “meritless from the beginning” and argued that the label pursued it aggressively in hopes of extracting a substantial settlement.
They further alleged that emPawa engaged in “frivolous objections” during discovery and ultimately abandoned its claims rather than substantiate its ownership position or retain new counsel after its lawyers withdrew.
The motion also suggested that Dera was not the primary financier or driver of the litigation.
The case has drawn attention within the global music industry, particularly around the complexities of sample clearance in cross-border collaborations involving Afrobeats and Latin music.
With multiple parties often involved in rights ownership and distribution, disputes of this nature can quickly escalate into costly legal battles.
As of this report, the court has not ruled on the legal fees application. No public response has been issued by Mr Eazi, emPawa Africa, Dera, or Joeboy.
While the copyright claim itself remains unresolved, the outcome of the pending fees motion could have significant financial implications for the independent African label if the full amount is awarded.
