Veteran Nigerian record producer and sound engineer Samuel Oguachuba, professionally known as Samklef, has reignited the long-running public debate surrounding Wizkid’s musical catalogue and master ownership.
In a recent post on social media, the hitmaker asserted control over a key portion of Afrobeats history, declaring that his music imprint, Klefsound, holds the master rights to the instrumental recordings of six tracks on Wizkid’s classic 2011 debut album, Superstar.
“Wizkid owns all his masters except for Superstar. My company, Klefsound, which turns 20 next year, also owns the instrumental masters for 6 tracks on that album! That’s why artists sampling those instrumentals and songs have to come through me. I cleared Taves and Uche Jombo!” Samklef stated.
Samklef’s comments highlight a critical legal distinction in the music business between sound recording masters and underlying instrumental assets. According to the producer, because Klefsound maintains control over the instrumental masters, contemporary artists seeking to sample or interpolate production elements from Superstar must clear the rights directly through him.
To support his claim, Samklef referenced recent sample clearances, including work connected to rising artist Taves on the track “Uche Jombo,” which samples elements from Wizkid’s breakout era.
Addressing ongoing online discussions regarding artist contracts and master ownership, Samklef directed sharp words at Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) co-founder Banky W, calling on the singer-turned-clergyman to speak openly about the historical publishing and recording arrangements.
“Stop misinforming people! Thank God Banky W na pastor, so himself go speak the truth,” Samklef added in his statement.
The public exchange reflects long-standing friction over the commercial rights to Superstar. Samklef has previously claimed that unpaid studio sessions and production terms during the album’s early 2010s development left legal master rights to the instrumental arrangements with his outfit, Klefsound.
While Wizkid has acquired control over much of his post-E.M.E catalogue in recent years, the status of the Superstar album remain a frequent talking point regarding Afrobeats heritage and rights administration. Neither representatives for Wizkid nor Banky W have issued a fresh formal response to Samklef’s latest comments.
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