Merchah Cries Foul – “Onesimus’ Team Silenced My Song ‘Koso’
Published on October 7, 2025 at 1:14 PM by Evance Kapito
There’s drama in Malawi’s music scene after rising artist Merchah claimed that the management team of Afro-pop star Onesimus forced the removal of his latest song “Koso” from YouTube, accusing him of using a beat identical to Onesimus’ track “Running Mate.”
Both songs, released on the same date, share the same Afrobeat instrumental, sparking heated debate online. While some fans suggested it might just be a “riddim” issue, Merchah insists the instrumental was fairly sourced.
In a lengthy statement posted on social media, Merchah said he is “disturbed and disappointed” as a young creative trying to break through in a tough industry.
“A couple of weeks ago, me and my producer Chawabeats were in the studio. Sometimes, when producers face creative blocks, we turn to YouTube beats mixes. That’s how we found the Koso beat. We usually get leases from producers to use them, so it’s nothing new,” Mercha explained.
He added that similar cases happen across Africa, pointing out that his “Obeba” track with Doc used an instrumental also employed by Takura (Zimbabwe) and Yo Maps (Zambia).
Mercha claims he was shocked when his team received an email requesting his song be taken down from YouTube, accusing him of copying.
“It’s surprising because Onesimus is a much bigger brand than I am. Why be bothered about a song from an up-and-coming artist who actually looks up to you? Why not just reach out and solve this maturely?” he wrote.
For fans struggling to follow the technical details, Mercha simplified the matter: “Short story: Onesimus’ team deleted my song on YouTube.”
The controversy has since sparked debate among music lovers about ownership of beats sourced from YouTube and the struggles faced by emerging artists in Malawi’s industry and running mate by Onesimus is now on 400,000 views on Youtube.
