Obrafour, Once Bitten But Not Yet Shy

Even though Obrafuor lost heavily when he sold his second album Asem Sebe for ?220 million, it appears he has not taken any lessons from the time honoured adage that says, ?Once bitten twice shy?.

The hiplife great has again sold the copyright of his latest album, Heavy, for an unspecified amount of money. The question is will Obrafour regret his decision like he did when he sold Asem Sebe and run off to the UK to nurse his wounds when he realises his mistake?

In 2001, Obrafour released his second album, Asem sebe, (a twi expression that indicates that whatever has been heard needs to be considered carefully), but ironically, events after the release of the hit album showed clearly that he failed ruefully to reflect on his decision to sell his rights over the album.

A few months after Obrafour a. k. a., Elliot Michael Osei Okeyere Darko had sold his copyright to 1st Class Entertainment, for a period of two years, an international film company, Gee Bee Incorporated of New York, United States of America, expressed interest in one song Who Born You, on the Asem Sebe album, which they wanted to use as a soundtrack for their hit movie, Bloody Streetz.

?Well, when I heard about the deal, I knew that I had lost the opportunity to make not less than $15,000 because I did not have the authority to enter into negotiations with Gee Bee since I had sold the rights to 1st Class Entertainment,? Obrafour told Graphic Showbiz in a contrite tone.

Gee Bee contacted Hush Hush Studios, Accra, through their office in New York to get them a good song from Africa.

Hush Hush in turn struck a deal with Ist Class Entertainment for Obrafour?s song, Who Born You, which then became one of the soundtracks for Bloody Streetz.

?Oh, boss do you know how much I got from Ist Class Entertainment after they had closed the deal with Hush Hush and Gee Bee? $1000 which, in 2003, was about ?8 million,? Obrafour recalled with a wry smile.

A source at Hush Hush told Showbiz that, ?although I cannot disclose exactly how much Ist Class Entertainment got from the deal, I believe that Obrafour could have made between $15,000 and $20,000 if he had the copyright over the song, and could bargain well?.

The source said other Ghanaian musicians, A-plaz and Araz also had their songs in the deal.

?A-plaz?s song Eye Ya and Sika by Araz featuring Faata from Cameroun were also used in the film and I am sure they received about $500, because they are not as ?big? as Obrafour?.

According to the source, though it is not advisable for musicians to sell copyrights, the harsh economic conditions in the country push some of them into doing so.

?If someone dangles ?200 million in front of you and asks you to sell the copyright of your album to him for two year?s won?t you do it??? he asked.

Information available to Showbiz indicates that Obrafour has again sold the copyright of his latest album, Heavy, to Big Ben Music Production in Accra.

The heavy airplay that Heavy is enjoying points to the fact that Big Ben may yet be the winner in the deal with Obrafour, who is considered as the cleanest lyricist in hiplife history and also adored for being one of the most prolific musicians in Ghana.

The movie, Bloody Streetz, directed by Gerald Barclay, is a gangster horror film with ?rebel? political themes. It takes a realistic look at the politics of economic violence.

It features some great black female leads and actors from Africa including Godfrey Sowah, who is said to be a Ghanaian based in the USA. Some critics have also described the movie as having a mystical African tangent, bloody and haunting.