Plagiarism Allegations Surface Again for Jah Prayzah Over New Song “Moto”

High-flying Zimbabwean musician Jah Prayzah could be facing another plagiarism storm, following claims that a song from his latest album Ndini Mukudzeyi bears an uncanny resemblance to a track released in 2024 by fellow artist Kurai Makore.

The album, Jah Prayzah’s 14th studio release, was launched in Harare over the weekend and has since received widespread acclaim and commercial success. However, even amid the praise, questions about originality are beginning to overshadow the celebrations.

In a Facebook post that has sparked online debate, Dr Blessing Ivan Vava, the regional director at Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe, raised concerns about the similarities between Jah Prayzah’s track Moto and Makore’s Kanyarugwe.

“What happens to copyright law? Listening to Jah Prayzah’s song Moto from his latest album Ndini Mukudzeyi sounds like a plagiarized song of Kurai Makore’s Kanyarugwe, released in 2024,” Dr Vava posted.

The alleged similarity between the two songs has reignited discussion on copyright enforcement and artistic integrity within Zimbabwe’s music industry. Although Jah Prayzah has not publicly responded to the claims, the debate continues to gain traction online and within industry circles.

Not the First Time

This isn’t the first time Jah Prayzah has faced allegations of copying another artist’s work. In 2014, he admitted to using a beat from Ghanaian musician Emmanuel Samini’s 2007 hit Samini in his own track Mwanasikana, featured on the album Tsviriyo. At the time, Jah claimed he had unknowingly lifted the beat from a film soundtrack and was unaware that it was a released song.

“I was watching an African movie and I enjoyed the soundtrack. I did not know it was a released song. I just thought it was a track made for the movie,” he explained, adding that a friend later alerted him to the original source.

That controversy eventually faded, but it left a mark on the artist’s reputation regarding creative originality.

Industry Reactions and Next Steps

While fans of both artists await further clarification or comment, the controversy may prompt increased scrutiny of the creative processes behind Zimbabwean music releases. Legal experts and music rights activists have previously called for better enforcement of intellectual property laws to protect artists from both theft and wrongful accusations.

As Ndini Mukudzeyi continues to chart and generate buzz, the unfolding allegations could determine whether Jah Prayzah’s success story takes a hit or merely experiences another bump in an otherwise illustrious career.