Nigerian comedian Brain Jotter has refuted claims that he earned over N400 million from the song ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ by highlife musician Mike ‘Gentleman’ Ejeagha. The song gained significant popularity after Brain Jotter used it as the soundtrack for his viral dance moves.
The dance, involving participants facing opposite directions, meeting, performing a humorous leg dance, and then one chasing the other to the chorus “Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo,” became a sensation. The song has been recreated over 20,000 times on TikTok, attracting participation from many Nigerians, including celebrities.
On Sunday, Brain Jotter met with Mike Ejeagha and gifted him N2 million, sharing that his father used to play Ejeagha’s songs during trips to their hometown. However, a man known as Radiogad recently claimed that Jotter made over N400 million from the song’s streams and should pay Ejeagha N100 million.
In response, Brain Jotter clarified that he has not made any money from the viral trend. He stated that all revenue generated from the song goes to Ejeagha’s music label. “For those who think we exploited him for money, I understand your concerns, and they are valid,” he said in an Instagram video of his visit. “I appreciate that you want him to receive value for his hard work, which is very important. However, no money was made for this song for myself.”
Brain Jotter explained that any revenue from the song is directed to Ejeagha’s record label and production company due to copyright protections on digital platforms. “You cannot even monetize another person’s song because these platforms have tools to strike you for copyright violation,” he explained. “If I post that video on YouTube, YouTube strikes it for copyright, and they give the revenue to the actual owner, which is Mike Ejeagha.”
He also highlighted the positive impact of the song’s renewed popularity, noting that streaming numbers have increased significantly, benefiting Ejeagha. “All the revenues are going to Mike Ejeagha. The N2 million I gave him is from my pocket. It is from my hard-earned money. It is just for humanity. It is not for profit,” Brain Jotter emphasized.
Brain Jotter’s statements aim to address concerns about the financial aspects of the song’s viral success and to assure fans that Ejeagha is receiving due compensation for his work.
