Veteran Ugandan musician Ragga Dee has spoken publicly about the Ragga Dee copyright dispute with Mikie Wine, maintaining that he never granted written permission for one of his songs to be re-recorded.
The singer said the disagreement centres on Mikie Wine’s remake of one of his songs, insisting that no artist should reproduce another musician’s work without first obtaining proper authorization.
According to Ragga Dee, written consent is the accepted requirement whenever an artist wants to remake or reproduce someone else’s intellectual property.
He stressed that verbal agreements are not enough in such situations.
Addressing the matter, Ragga Dee explained that permission to remake a song should be documented in writing rather than left to informal discussions.
He also said such agreements are typically private arrangements between the artists involved.
According to him, they are not usually announced through television, radio or social media.
The veteran musician said this has always been his approach whenever another artist has sought permission to reinterpret his music.
He revealed that he has previously authorized other musicians to remake his songs through written agreements. Among those he named was Sheebah Karungi.
Ragga Dee cited her as an example of an artist who obtained proper authorization before remaking one of his songs.
He also confirmed that he has not met Mikie Wine because he has never given him consent to reproduce the disputed song.
The comments place written authorization at the centre of the ongoing copyright disagreement.
Rather than focusing only on his own case, Ragga Dee used the opportunity to highlight what he considers the correct process for protecting intellectual property in music.
“It’s not done that way. When you’re going to redo someone’s song, you have to get written consent. It’s not usually publicized on TV, radio, or social media. It’s an agreement between two people, usually done in the studio.”
The remarks underline his position that copyright permissions should be formally documented between the parties involved.
He also contrasted the current dispute with previous instances in which he approved remakes of his music.
“I have not met him because I have not given him consent. I have people I gave consent to redo my songs, like Sheebah, and it’s always written consent, not verbal.”
According to Ragga Dee, granting permission for artists to remake his work is not something he opposes in principle.
Instead, he says the issue lies in following the correct procedure before another musician records or releases a new version of an existing song.
His reference to Sheebah Karungi was intended to illustrate that written agreements have been part of his practice in previous collaborations.
The dispute has also renewed attention on conversations surrounding Uganda music copyright and the importance of protecting intellectual property in music.
Because the matter involves two well-known Ugandan musicians, it has drawn interest from fans and industry observers alike.
At the same time, several aspects of the dispute remain unclear. It has not been confirmed whether the disagreement has been resolved.
There is also no confirmed information on whether Mikie Wine sought permission before re-recording the song. The title of the disputed song has not been disclosed.
Likewise, there has been no response from Mikie Wine included in the confirmed information available.
It also remains unconfirmed whether any legal action has been taken or is being considered. For now, Ragga Dee’s public position remains unchanged.
He says he did not authorize Mikie Wine to remake the song and continues to maintain that written consent is required before any artist reproduces another musician’s work.
Despite the disagreement, Ragga Dee stopped short of calling for division within the industry.
Instead, he encouraged Uganda’s musicians to support one another and work together for the continued growth of the country’s music scene.
As matters stand, the Ragga Dee copyright dispute with Mikie Wine remains unresolved based on the confirmed information available, while the veteran singer continues to argue that respecting written copyright agreements is essential for the future of the Ugandan music industry.
