Lebohang Morake, the Grammy-winning South African composer known professionally as Lebo M, is suing a comedian for $27 million, alleging that a viral joke about the opening chant of The Lion King distorted the meaning of the song and damaged his life's work.
Morake wrote the opening chant for Disney's 1994 animated film and Broadway hit, "The Lion King": "Nants'ingonyama bagithi Baba," a line written in isiZulu and isiXhosa, translates to "All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king," according to a federal lawsuit filed on March 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and reviewed by USA TODAY.
The chant, according to the lawsuit, is a Praise Imbongi, a form of royal praise poetry, and stands independently as an African vocal proclamation rooted in cultural tradition. However, last month, Learnmore Mwanyenyeka, a Zimbabwean-born comedian and content creator, said during an appearance on the One54 Africa podcast that the chant translates to: "Look, there's a lion. Oh my god."
The complaint states that multiple viewers believed the translation was correct, with some describing it as having "ruined their childhood." While "ingonyama" can translate to "lion" in Zulu, in Praise Imbongi and royal metaphor, "Ngonyama or Ingonyama" signifies kingship, ancestral authority, and sovereign presence.
The lawsuit alleges that Mwanyenyeka's translation is a "fabricated, trivializing distortion meant as a sick joke for unlawful self-profit and destruction of the imaginative and artistic work of Lebo M." Morake is accusing the comedian of attempting to erase more than 30 years of cultural and artistic work. According to the complaint, Mwanyenyeka has been performing the joke for eight years and continued using it at comedy clubs in Los Angeles and across the U.S. after the clip went viral, attempting to monetize it through merchandise.
Mwanyenyeka was served while appearing at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles this month and posted footage of the incident on his Instagram. In the footage, someone with a manila folder approaches the stage as Mwanyenyeka performs. The comedian asks: "What is this? What does this say?" And the person responds, "service." Recognizing the lawsuit, Mwanyenyeka proceeded to laugh and told the audience the backstory of the viral jest. "Listen: I now have a gluten allergy, anxiety, I got served, I'm now American!" The comedian jokes to laughter and applause before asking if anyone in the room is a lawyer.
Since then, Mwanyenyeka has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover legal expenses related to the lawsuit, which seeks more than $20 million in alleged damages and estimates disgorgement of profits at about $7 million. As of March 26, the fundraiser had raised $12,468 toward a $20,000 goal. In a statement posted on the page, Mwanyenyeka thanked donors for their support, writing: "Because of you, I now have a fighting chance with this lawsuit."
