The Portable–Osupa dispute: A mirror of ego and society, by Folorunso Adisa

“Every good thing is plagiarism; it is only stupidity that is truly original.” That isn’t my original thought, I first heard it from my teacher, Prof Mahfouz Adedimeji, who, in all honesty, probably read it elsewhere too. Ideas move. They evolve, get reshaped, reworded, and repurposed. What matters is how we acknowledge them. While plagiarism is criminal, referencing sets you free. Then there is intertextuality, the literary concept of using one piece to explain or illuminate another. It’s not theft; it is tribute.

This brings us to the ongoing issue between Portable and Saheed Osupa, a dispute that could have been entirely avoided with just a little understanding. Portable, no doubt, should have referenced Osupa if he borrowed stylistic elements or lyrics. And when he failed to do that, the mature thing would have been to apologise, privately or publicly. That is on Portable, and the criticism is fair.

But for Saheed Osupa, the reaction is disappointing. Here is a man with a storied career, known for his sharp tongue and lyrical jabs, often directed at icons like K1 and Pasuma. If he could serve those jabs in his prime, one would expect him to take a little heat now with grace. After all, Osupa himself has, at various points, used lines and lyrics that trace back to Barrister, the father of them all. He cannot deny that.

What we are seeing is a mirror of a deeper societal flaw. We are a people who love to pull down those we perceive as beneath us. We bully the weak, demand respect we don’t give, and measure humility only when it suits our pride. This is not just about music. It is about the human tendency to dominate, to punish, and to overreact when we hold the upper hand.

We constantly criticise our leaders for being vindictive, intolerant, and unmerciful. Yet, when given just a fraction of influence or power, we often do worse. Isn’t it time we asked ourselves if the problem is truly with them, or also with us?

Music is meant to build bridges, not burn them. It should lesson us on our shared humanity, not deepen divides powered by ego. If legends cannot show leadership through restraint, who then will?

–Adisa is a communications scholar and public affairs analyst