Music Producer, Napji, Goes Public With Davido’s Unpaid Music Royalties

Napji, who produced three tracks, including the huge hit song “FEM,” off Davido’s third album “A Better Time,” is complaining about unpaid publishing and royalties.

On April 22, 2024, Napji claimed in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account that he received 500,000 Naira apiece for producing the songs “FEM,” “Jowo,” and “Sunlight” off Davido’s 2020 album “A Better Time.”

Napji, who received credit for producing all three of the tracks, revealed that he had not yet received his publishing or royalties but pledged to provide further details as he worked to obtain these.

One of the album’s lead singles, “FEM,” went on to become a big hit and one of the anthems of the celebrated nationwide #ENDSARS protest in 2020.

On YouTube, the song has received over 33 million plays, while on Spotify, it has about 10 million plays. With over 53 million streams on YouTube and 26 million Spotify plays, “Jowo” was also a commercial triumph. Napji has the right to a 50% publishing right on the song, which means he will receive a portion of the streaming earnings the song has accumulated over time, in accordance with industry standard.

There have also been several instances of music creators having their publishing rights withheld over the years.