MERCY CHINWO THREATENS TO FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST OBIDIZ FOR HIS SONG TITLED MERCY CHINWO

Gospel musician, Mercy Chinwo, has threatened to slam a two billion Naira lawsuit against singer Obidiz for derogatorily using her name and image in secular music audio and video.

Obidiz released this song titled Mercy Chinwo on February 10, 2023, with the gospel crooner’s picture as the cover image.

Mercy Chinwo, through her lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, in a letter dated March 23 and addressed to Obidiz Lawson, ordered the secular singer to take down the music audio and video from all music digital platforms.

The letter read inter alia, “It came to our client’s rude shock that you recently released and published a song titled ‘Mercy Chinwo’ containing disparaging and derogatory lyrics…”

It added, “.....that you take down or cause to be taken down, the song titled ‘Mercy Chinwo’ which you published or be taken down immediately from all music digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud and any other platform whereby you made such publication.”

The gospel singer’s attorneys directed Obidiz to promptly comply with their client’s demands, “failure upon which the full machinery of the law will be set in motion against you including approaching the Court of Law to award damages against you to the tune of N2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira) in a favour of our client.”

Obidiz's response to this matter is:

“Na song I sing I no kill person.

'Mercy Chinwo for church o!

'....but for club na Cardi B set’ talks about a girl I met.

'Na she I sing about but una wan crucify me."

Defamation can kill, mai dia!

Below are the lyrics of Obidiz's song titled MERCY CHINWO:

"She dey share me the cake o!

and she no want commitment,

Mercy Chinwo for church o!

but for club na Cardi B set,

I no go commit o!

No commitment at all

Bad girl!

I no go commit o!

No commitment at all.

Yeah!

I’m up to it okpeke if you’re down for it.

If you’re down for oil money I go spend on it.

I’m up to it okpeke if you’re down with me

If you’re down with me. Baby, I go spend on you

I’m up to it oroma if you’re down.

Girl, if you’re down then I’m down,

She won dey form but the money come loyal her.

Ada too form but I loyal her.

The scent of her perfume

still dey my room.

No be chase,

Matter done pass shoot bird,

My number for her phone scooby to do.

Carry her friends sometimes make we threesome."

Obidiz ń fi orí oká họ imú.

(Obidiz is using the head of a python to scratch his nose).

This is clearly a case of a personality and brand defamation and possibly a trademark infringement.

Obidiz knows that Mercy Chinwe's name is popular enough to catch the public's attention to sell his music.

A novice mentioned that Obidiz can claim fair use to escape paying damages for this law suit.

This is far from fair use.

Using the name of a person whom you know that they stand for gospel and religion in a derogatory manner is not fair use at all.

It is an evil use.

Obidiz can only claim fair use if he sang about Mercy Chinwo for criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research purposes.

Using the name of a brand as the title of your song and in a derogatory manner such as:

1. Comparing her with Cardie B, a lewd secular singer and rapper;

2. Using her name in a song that has lyrics like 'club', 'threesome', bad girl;

3. Using her name in a song that has clear and direct sexual innuendos,

....show that Obidiz threw caution to the wind in desperation to become popular.

He has achieved his aim because I did not know him before now.

That show business phrase of 'All publicity, whether good or bad, is good for show business," may not work for him.

He needs to do the needful immediately by removing the songs from the listed platforms.

After the song has been removed from the platforms, a public notification needs to be made by Mercy Chinwo's lawyer that whosoever plays the song for commercial purposes in a film, advertisement, social media or terrestrial platform and other platforms will be held liable for damages.

Most def, I will not be playing this song or using it in my music projects.

Pride goes before a fall.

This could make or mar his music career.

He needs to retrace his steps and start on the right foot.

If you say, Mercy does not have a case, fine.

I hope that you will be there to provide financial support to Obidiz, an upcoming artist who is supposed to spend his mõney on better things when his lêgal fêês and damages accrue.

#obidiz

#mercychinwo