Nigeria: P-Square Saga – Rudeboy Accuses Mr P of Song Theft, Threatens to Release Original Version

“Why re-singing my song word for word and a song that was supposed to be in my album next year in June.”

The longstanding feud between Nigerian twin singers Peter and Paul Okoye, known as P-Square, took a fresh twist on Friday.

In August, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the dispute between the two brothers once thought to be resolved, had reignited.

Paul, known as Rudeboy, confirmed in an interview with City FM that their music group, P-Square, no longer existed.

While confirming the separation of the music group that dominated the African music scene for over a decade, Rudeboy also made several allegations against his twin brother, Peter (Mr P).

In response, Mr P posted a series of open letters on Instagram, denying the allegations and accusing Rudeboy and their elder brother, Jude, of embezzling P-Square’s funds.

Three months later, the feud between the two escalated further on Friday after Rudeboy alleged Mr P stole his song ‘Winning,’ a track that was supposed to be a significant part of their comeback album and a symbol of their reconciliation.

‘Next Year’s Album’

Trouble began after Mr P announced on his Instagram page Friday that his new song, ‘Winning’, is available on streaming platforms.

He also shared that the song’s music video, produced by Vampire Craze, will be released at 2:00 p.m.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Mr Psquare (@peterpsquare)

However, an hour after Mr P announced the song’s release to his fans, Rudeboy claimed ownership of it on his Instagram page.

“Song title: Winning; written and sung by Rudeboy and produced by the same producer,” he wrote.

Justifying his claims, Rudeboy claimed that the track in contention, ‘Winning,’ was one of six songs he submitted for Psquare’s album in 2021, the year they reconciled.

Their comeback album, ‘Reactivated,’ was a compilation of 20 songs from Mr P and Rudeboy’s solo projects. Released in November 2021, it was a highly anticipated project but didn’t make much impact.

During their separation, Paul, who went by the name Rudeboy, released songs like “Fire Fire” and “Nkenji Keke,” among others. Meanwhile, Peter, known as Mr P, released tracks such as “For My Head” and “Cool It Down.”

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Rudeboy (@iamkingrudy)

This newspaper reported that Rudeboy stated in an interview on City FM in August that after their reconciliation, he and his brother decided to contribute an equal number of songs to maintain balance in P-Square’s upcoming album.

He said he decided with Mr P because fans consistently asked about P-Square whenever he released a solo song.

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Rudeboy alleged that Mr P went behind his back to re-sing ‘Winning’ word for word. He noted that he had planned to include the song on his album next June.

He said, “Now, how come? Now, am I supposed to release another version? Mr Producer, your case na for another day. Just a simple thing: bring six songs, let me bring six songs, and submit my six songs to the so-called management.

“Why ‘re-singing’ my own song word for word, a song that was supposed to be in my album next year in June.”

In another post, the singer threatened to release “original versions of any copied songs”.

“The days of manipulation are over. And to the management, make I hear any song wey na only me sing, I go release the original version. Oloriburuku! Music is not that hard,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, unfazed by his twin brother’s song theft allegation, Mr P announced the release of another new song titled ‘Attention.’

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Mr Psquare (@peterpsquare)

He wrote, “Attention, audio out on all music platforms; make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel after listening. One love.”

The twin brothers separated in 2017 after a four-year rift marked by several public controversies that alienated colleagues and fans. They patched things up in 2021, only to face a fresh twist in their relationship.

The latest split of the 42-year-old singers, who started their musical career in 1999, came more than two years after their highly-publicised reunion in 2021. As of press time, neither Mr P nor his management are yet to respond to Rudeboys’ claims.

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