Popular Nigerian comedian and skitmaker Chukwuebuka Amuzie, known as Brain Jotter, has addressed concerns about the potential exploitation of Mike Ejeagha’s 1983 hit “Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo,” which recently sparked a viral dance challenge. The 41-year-old song by the 93-year-old folklore legend has gained significant attention on social media, raising questions about revenue distribution and copyright issues. In response, Brain Jotter clarified that he is not profiting from the viral trend.
“For those who think we ripped him off or are making money from this whole thing, I understand your concerns and they are very valid. I appreciate that you want him to get value for his hard work, which is very valid. You are doing something good,” Brain Jotter stated in a video he posted on Tuesday, showing his visit to the music legend.
He emphasized, “No dime was made from this song by me, nothing like that.”
Brain Jotter explained how content monetization works on various platforms. He said, “All those music where I did put out there – Instagram, Facebook, YouTube – everything, the whole revenue is going to Mike Ejeagha’s record label, his production company.”
He detailed the copyright mechanisms on these platforms, noting, “You cannot even monetize another person’s song because these platforms have copyright violation tools. If I post that video on YouTube, YouTube strikes it for copyright and gives the revenue to the actual owner, which is Mike Ejeagha. If you post it on Facebook, Facebook will tell you outright that this song does not belong to you; it belongs to this person. They take the revenue and give it to the actual owner.”
The comedian also highlighted a positive outcome of the viral challenge, stating, “The song increased its streams on streaming platforms massively, and there’s no way I can put the song on streaming platforms. So everything, all revenues, are going straight to Mike Ejeagha.”
Brain Jotter revealed that he gave Ejeagha two million naira from his pocket, explaining, “The two million I gave him was my hard-earned money, just for humanity and not for profit. This whole thing is not for profit.”
He expressed gratitude for the joy the challenge has brought, concluding, “The joy in his heart now is my profit.”
