Lebo M sues Learnmore Jonasi for US$20m over a chant joke

A viral joke about The Lion King's opening chant just snowballed into a US$20 million lawsuit filed by the man who actually recorded it.

Lebo M is suing a Zimbabwean comedian

• Lebohang Morake, a.k.a. Lebo M, filed suit in a US federal court.
• Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Mwanyenyeka Jonasi is the defendant.
• Allegations cover misrepresentation, defamation, and cultural misappropriation.
• The lawsuit is reportedly valued at US$20 million.

Jonasi's viral clip kicked everything off

• Jonasi joked that the famous chant just means a lion showed up.
• His casual translation blew up across social media fast.
• Viewers found it hilarious, but Lebo M was not amused.
• The Grammy-winning composer publicly disputed the interpretation.

Cultural heritage is the core argument

• Lebo M says the chant is traditional Zulu and Xhosa royal-praise poetry.
• He described it as a proclamation tied to kingship and ancestry.
• Stripping it from that framework erases its deeper significance.
• His publicity manager called it heritage, not a hashtag-ready punchline.

Jonasi pushed back on the backlash

• Jonasi reportedly responded with a video defending his position.
• He indicated a willingness to learn from the situation.
• The dispute has drawn global attention to the chant's origins.
• Legal proceedings in the US federal court are apparently underway.