Burna Boy Sued in New York Over Alleged Song Th£ft
Nigerian music star Burna Boy has been sued in a New York court by Haitian music legend Fabrice Rouzier, who accuses him of st£aling elements from his 2002 track Je Vais.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, claims Burna Boy and French-Haitian singer Joe Dwet File (real name Joe Gilles) used Rouzier’s composition, sound, and video material without permission in their recent collaboration 4 Kampe II, released March 28, 2025.
According to court documents, the infringement started in late 2024 when Gilles released the original 4 Kampe, allegedly based on Je Vais. Rouzier says he issued a cease-and-desist letter to Gilles, who reportedly admitted to using the material. Despite this, Gilles went ahead to release the remix featuring Burna Boy, which allegedly includes lyrics and melodies strikingly similar to Je Vais, including the French line “Chérie, ou sou sa kampe.”
Rouzier accuses both artists of knowingly profiting from st@len work, leading to lost revenue, d+maged reputation, and missed opportunities. He claims Burna Boy was fully aware of the infringement but participated in the remix regardless.
The veteran Haitian musician is seeking compensatory and exemplary d+mages, legal fees, and an injunction to stop any further use of his likeness or music in 4 Kampe and 4 Kampe II. He’s also asking the court to order the d£str¥ction of all infringing copies of the videos.
