Shucking & jiving backfires | Lion King theme composer sues comedian for mocking/misinterpreting the lyrics

[get these nets]

Lion King Chant Composer Files $27M Lawsuit Against Comedian Over Song's Alleged Misinterpretation​

03/18/26


The composer behind the famous chant at the beginning of Disney's The Lion King is suing a comedian for allegedly misrepresenting the meaning of the iconic lyrics.

Grammy Award-winning composer Lebohang Morake, known professionally as Lebo M, filed a lawsuit on March 16 in California against comedian Learnmore Jonasi (nee Learnmore Mwanyenyeka). Jonasi went viral in a clip from the One54 Africa podcast for allegedly making "false statements of fact about the meaning of the 'Nants’ingonyama' composition," according to the complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

The chant, "Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba," is used in both the original 1994 movie and the 2019 adaptation. Hans Zimmer composed the film's score, with songs by Elton John and Tim Rice.


In a podcast clip, Jonasi claims that the chant, “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” translates to “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.”

The complaint alleges that Jonasi "presented this as authoritative fact, not comedy," and that in doing so he "mocked the chant’s cultural significance with exaggerated imitations."

"Jonasi’s reduction to 'Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god' is not a simplified translation—it 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," the complaint says. "The true meaning of Nants’ ingonyama bagithi Baba is 'All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.'"

After the podcast clip went viral, Morake messaged Jonasi on Instagram, per the suit. In one of the messages in the exchange, Morake allegedly told Jonasi that his "Stated comments were not part of standup and sought to 'erase over 30 years of work,'" to which Jonasi disagreed.

Morake is seeking a jury trial and $27, 000, 000 in damages.

 

[Squirrel from Meteor Man]

He’s picking and choosing. Multiple people have translated this the same way on public platforms (including Seth Rogen while promoting the Lion King), and people from his own country have loosely translated it the same way.

There is also as cultural/tribal issue here as South Africans do not like people from Zimbabwe in general.

 

[5n0man]

Suing comedians always ends up bad.


Plus that WAS a direct translation of the chant, meaning doesn't always translate with language.

 

[⠀X ⠀]

Patrice O’Neal could have been an expert whiteness for the defense.

 

[AyBrehHam Linkin]

i distinctly remember Timone on one of the spinoffs mispronouncing that intro and saying "What's on the menuuu"

 

[The Pledge]

I saw the outrage when it first boiled over, he was right to call him out on social media but get the fukk outta here with suing.

No one is really up in arms about the lyrics to that song, the song to a movie like 30 years old

 

[Wandissimo]

That’s what I’m talking about, fukk arguing imma just start suing mfs

 

[get these nets]

That’s what I’m talking about, fukk arguing imma just start suing mfs

Yep
MFers wouldn't dare say anything close to mocking jews or lgbtq groups on these podcasts, for fear of repercussions.
But they speak free and loosely about other Black people.
fukk them.

 

[Amerikan Melanin]

Non FBA business.

 

[ReturnOfJudah]

 

[Buddy]

I understand standing up for your work in terms of speaking out but breh can't be serious with that lawsuit. $27M from where? Jonas has one viral clip and yeah it happens to involve your work. But fam... he is NOT Kevin Hart somebody needs to sit him down and explain how the internet works.

 

[CHICAGO]

In a podcast clip, Jonasi claims that the chant, “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” translates to “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.”

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE
SHUCKING AND JIVING?




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