Who is Sami Chokri and why he suing Ed Sheeran?
ED Sheeran’s No 1 hit Shape of You was 2017’s biggest selling single.
But the singer is now embroiled in a copyright legal battle over the song with fellow musician Sam Chokri.
Who is Sami Chokri?
Sami Chokri is a British grime artist from Caversham.
The Londoner performs under the stage name of Sami Swich.
Sami developed an interest in music from an early age.
Speaking to The Reading Chronicle in 2012, he said: “When I was younger in primary school, my parents were very into poetry so I think I started writing poetry then.
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“When I started secondary school [Highdown in Caversham] there were a lot of people who were very into grime music, and I started seeing that I could take it further, take it seriously, and then I started actually making songs.
“I was 16 when I met Twan Pemberton through a friend and he gave me the opportunity to get into a real, professional studio instead of just a corner of the bedroom, and get it out there properly.”
Why is Ed Sheeran suing Sam Chokri?
Sami Chokri and fellow musician Ross O’Donoghue, allege that Ed Sheeran’s hit Shape Of You copies parts of their 2015 track Oh Why, saying the hook is “strikingly similar”.
Ed, and his co-songwriters Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac deny any wrongdoing.
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Ed has previously said he is in court to “clear my name” and denies starting legal action to intimidate the two songwriters.
The singer and his co-writers began legal proceedings in May 2018, asking the High Court to declare they had not infringed Mr Chokri and Mr O’Donoghue’s copyright.
In July 2018, Mr Chokri and Mr O’Donoghue issued their own claim for “copyright infringement, damages and an account of profits in relation to the alleged infringement”.
The trial – which being overseen by Mr Justice Zacaroli – continues.
What songs has Sami Chokri produced?
Aside from Oh Why, throughout his career, Sami has released four singles:
Temperature and Victoria in 2021, Isolation in 2020 and Stay Steady in 2016.
He also has two albums – Trouble which was released in 2016, and Solace in 2015.