#SleekBuzzOpinion—El Vidal's Olotu Claim Doesn't Hold Water But Is Good For Publicity.

El Vidal

Bayelsan rapper, El Vidal, has called Ichaba and Dremo out for titling their collaborative song "Olotu". The rapper took to his Facebook to slam the duo, accusing them of stealing from him and backing this claim up with an incident that took place at a certain Friday Night Show at Freedom Park, Lagos.

According to El Vidal, the duo of Ichaba and Dremo, and other DMW members (with an exception of Davido) were seated backstage at the event, while he performed Olotu to the delight of fans and those backstage.

Apparently right after his performance, there was a string of accolades, from almost everyone, that was when Ichaba and Dremo approached him and asked for the meaning of Olotu, to that, he replied, "It means champion in Ijaw language".

Well, to El Vidal's bewilderment, Ichaba and Dremo's recent work is titled Olotu. This situation, as we know, isn't where any creative would choose to be in, so El Vidal's outburst is, therefore, comprehensible. But with the threat of a lawsuit? Not enough evidence to nail this. The cons outweigh the pros.

• REASONS WHY EL VIDAL CAN'T CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF OLOTU.

In 1985 Madonna's chart-topping single, Material Girl, was released. It was so huge that it's often credited as the song that established Madonna's iconic status. But in 2010 a legal battle between Madonna and a Los Angeles clothing retailer, LA Triumph, erupted. The retailing firm had been selling 'Material Girl' clothes since 1997 and had taken the almighty legal step of trademarking the name.

Madonna and the Material Girl brand felt outdone by this, the case was taken to court and, to their disappointment, they lost. 

The simplest explanation for this was, the title, Material Girl, wasn't an original idea. That is, Material Girl was a phrase so common it cannot be owned legally by any individual: phrases,mottoes, catch phrases, titles, and the likes, don't have what it take to be copyrighted. But a body of work can. A book, a song, a play, any creation in its entirety can.

Equally important to note, if an artist is the creator of a word, like D'banj did with Koko, there are instances where a copyright can be granted. D'banj has now trademarked the Koko word and has exploited businesses of every nature with it. In communication, agriculture, water and the creation of a reality TV show called 'Koko Mansion'. This was possible due to the originality of the word "Koko".

Another way to check our perspectives is to listen to both songs. In El Vidal's Olotu, we can tell, with all conviction, we are listening to a hip-hop song. The title is actively felt throughout the song, with the rapper's proclamation of himself championing the state of affairs in Bayelsa, and in Hip-hop as well. Self-assertiveness is the core of the song, hence the repetitiveness of the word 'Olotu'.

Ichaba's Olotu is much more reserved, unlike the turbulence in El Vidal's. There are no ruthless moments, you only are listening to good music with beautiful native instruments playing in the background. You can also make a case for the contrasting nature of both songs. As stated earlier, the corrosiveness of El Vidal's Olotu is felt throughout his song, whereas that of Ichaba's is rather easy on the ear

More points for Ichaba if we state further that, the contrasts in the rhythm, sound, theme and overall production of these Olutus are too loud for the DMW artist to suffer culpability.

In the hope of finding answers to a critical question, one that took a staff member of Sleek Buzz through the streets of Yenagoa, Yorubas and those from other Nigerian tribes haven't given any generally accepted answers. The fluidity of these answers, as they concern 'Olotu', might be a stronghold of El Vidal's claim, if he wants to take legal action.

Some online findings haven't helped either. The meaning of Olotu in other Nigerian tribes has been difficult to find. The closest to anything tangible is Benue state Idoma's Olotu, which means 'very courageous'. 

Ichaba, whose real name is Mayowa Olusanya, according to our findings, is from Oyo state. Sleek Buzz, at the time of writing this, couldn't get any information on the Olotu word being used amongst any tribe there. Another point for El Vidal.

However, from the above analysis, Ichaba isn't prohibited from titling his song Olotu (neither by the laws of the land nor by unwritten laws).

Yes, Ichaba and Dremo may have had a chatty time with El Vidal.

Yes, El Vidal may have inspired the title.

But there's no interconnection between these two songs.

Olotu is an Ijaw word that is open for use to anyone. Also, on a serious note, copyrights do not cover song title.