Singer, songwriter and music producer Alex Okoroigwe, popularly known as Alex O, has announced his plans to remix some of his popular songs from the 80s and 90s.
In an interview with QEDNG publisher Olumide Iyanda, Alex O also discussed the ongoing copyright issues that have kept his music off certain streaming platforms.
During the interview, Iyanda inquired about the ownership of Alex O’s music rights, noting that multiple platforms have shared his songs.
Alex O explained that the rights to his music are currently claimed by his former record label, Polygram, now known as Premier Records.
“It’s been a controversial situation,” Alex O stated.
“As far as I’m concerned, the contract we signed expired many years ago. But Premier Records insists they still own the rights.
“It’s been in the news that Orits Wiliki took them to court last year and won a judgment for them to pay him 50 million and return all his works to him.”
He mentioned that Premier Records has approached him to renegotiate a new agreement that would be fair to everyone involved.
While Alex O is open to the label marketing his songs due to their global connections, he strongly opposes their claim to full ownership.
“They have the means to popularize and market the music. But if they still want to stick to the old arrangement and claim ownership after the contract has expired, then it’s a battle,” he said.
Alex O disclosed that decision to remix his old songs, reignited determination to reclaim his rights.
Reflecting on his fans’ encouragement to revisit his classics, Alex O shared, “I want the copyright issue resolved so I know these songs are mine.
“Then I can do whatever I want with them. If Premier Records wants to collaborate, I’m open for business.”
He revealed that he has nearly 200 unreleased songs, written during the years he was not actively releasing music.
“When I start my record label, I’ll have a lot of material to work with, maybe even for new artists.”
Alex O also explained that the ongoing copyright dispute is the reason his songs are not available on platforms like Apple Music.
Additionally, he recently cleaned and released the music video for his hit song ‘Banana’ after repeated requests from dancer Toyin Balogun, who featured in the video.
The video received positive feedback, and Alex O plans to locate and release more of his old videos.
