Bad Bunny vs. Mr Eazi: The $456,000 Legal Twist in the “Enséñame a Bailar” Case

Recent headlines regarding Bad Bunny and Mr Eazi have left many fans questioning who actually sued whom. The reality is that while the original copyright lawsuit against Bad Bunny was dismissed, the legal battle has now entered a new, expensive phase involving a $456,312 demand for legal fees.

The Timeline of the Dispute

The conflict centers on Bad Bunny’s 2022 hit “Enséñame a Bailar” from the album Un Verano Sin Ti. Nigerian producer Dëra claimed the track used an uncleared sample from the beat he composed for Joeboy’s song “Empty My Pocket” (released in 2022 under Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa label with a 2021 master recording)

• February 2023 : Mr Eazi took to social media, calling the situation a case of “ill intent and abuse.” He stated that emPawa had attempted to settle the issue amicably, but argued the intent of Bad Bunny’s label, Rimas Music, was “to blatantly appropriate young African creators’ work for their gain without attribution” (OkayAfrica).

• May 2025: emPawa Africa had attempted to settle the issue amicably with Rimas since May 2025. (Note: the lawsuit itself was filed in 2023 by Producer Dëra against Bad Bunny and Rimas Entertainment in a U.S. federal court.)
• March 2026: A judge recently dismissed the lawsuit citing missed deadlines and failure to continue prosecuting the case by Dëra (the lawsuit filer). The case never reached a trial (OkayAfrica).

The Ownership Confusion: Lakizo vs. emPawa

A major point of contention was how Bad Bunny’s team obtained the music. Rimas Entertainment claimed they followed “standard industry protocols” by purchasing the master track from Lakizo Entertainment.

However, emPawa Africa countered that Lakizo was merely a licensed distributor who added a single vocal tag—“It’s Lakizo, baby”—to the track. They argued that Rimas failed to clear the publishing rights with the actual creators, Joeboy and Dëra. emPawa’s Ikenna Nwagboso summarized their stance: “Give Joeboy his credit, publishing and royalties on the song, and give Dëra a producer credit alongside those already given to Bad Bunny’s producers” (OkayAfrica).

The New $456,312 Demand

Following the dismissal of the lawsuit, Bad Bunny’s legal team filed a new request asking the court to order emPawa Africa to pay $456,312 in legal fees. While Dëra was the one who filed the suit, Bad Bunny’s team argues that emPawa Africa was the “primary entity” responsible for financing and driving the litigation.

The Fight for ‘Empty My Pocket’ IP Rights 

For Mr Eazi, this case represents a broader struggle for African artists. He noted that as Afrobeats becomes a global phenomenon, the industry often approaches African Intellectual Property (IP) with a lack of respect. Eazi pointed to a long history of this pattern, citing Michael Jackson’s famous adaptation of Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango’s “Soul Makossa” as a primary example of why African labels must now pursue legal means to secure their royalties.

An unanswered Question 

By failing to meet court deadlines, Dëra triggered a dismissal on technical grounds. This move spared Bad Bunny’s team from a trial on the merits, effectively closing the book on the case without answering the underlying question: Was the sample actually stolen?

Citations Source :

Bad Bunny Wins ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ Copyright Case After Producer Abandons Lawsuit The Nigerian producer Dera claimed Bad Bunny’s “Enséñame a Bailar” sampled and interpolated his 2019 track “Empty My Pocket” without proper permission

The Ongoing Saga of Mr Eazi and Bad Bunny’s Copyright Infringement Claims