Frankie Sly Named National Spokesperson for Global Creator Rights Push

Reggae vocalist Frankie Sly has taken on a new public role far removed from the concert circuit. The seasoned entertainer will serve as national spokesperson for the Creator Rights Movement (CRM), an expanding alliance of performers, songwriters, filmmakers and media workers united in pressing for wide-ranging changes to copyright legislation, streaming royalty structures and creators' ownership entitlements.

The post positions Sly as a leading figure in an international effort that champions indefinite copyright safeguards, more equitable streaming agreements and broader public understanding of intellectual property matters. In this capacity, he is set to take part in the organisation's Creators' Tour—a programme of workshops and community forums aimed at informing artistes, authors, journalists, producers, composers and musicians about copyright ownership, contract bargaining, formal registration and entitlement to royalties.

Mark G. Goldstein, who founded CRM, welcomed the appointment. "Having established artistes like Frankie Sly stand with us proves they recognise the severe challenges creators are facing today," he said. "Their involvement shows they are eager to use their platforms to help us make a real difference."

The role holds added weight for Sly personally. He has figured prominently in a widely reported copyright clash with fellow reggae heavyweight Buju Banton, leaving questions of ownership and intellectual property close to home.

"There are a lot of things in the pipeline so only time will tell how far this partnership can go. I am optimistic, because remember I learned my lesson the hard way, so by having access to highly educated partners in intellectual property, marketing and music who are willing to share their knowledge, great things can happen," Frankie Sly said.

He went on: "I am willing to take full advantage of this opportunity to learn more and educate my peers more. When it comes to copyright and intellectual property law, black musicians in the US and the Caribbean are at a big disadvantage because these creators frequently did not own their publishing. Their children were not entitled to residual royalties, so they were unable to create generational wealth despite creating great works that the world recognised...this is a big deal for me."

The campaign also features songwriter and former Motown performer Ricky Abernathy of Lakeside, filmmaker Phabian Winfield, rapper and producer Shawn Mims—widely known for the track This Is Why I'm Hot—R&B singer S.O.A.Q. (Abdul Qadaae Bey) and Akustix Andrew Donovan White.

CRM managing partner Kimberly Weekes contended the struggle reaches further than commercial disagreements. "What every creator around the world is experiencing is a human rights violation," she said. "Frankie gives voice to millions who've been silenced by fine print and bad deals."

Historical records show that many pioneering black musicians were pressured into relinquishing master recordings and publishing rights in exchange for one-off payments or exploitative royalty terms—a pattern that continues to shape the financial legacies they can pass to their families. For decades, numerous black performers received fixed sums for landmark recordings that later earned millions. Many were compelled to accept contracts classifying their output as "work for hire," a designation that permanently removes authorship from the creator and assigns it entirely to the label.

Central to the movement is an online petition asking the US Congress to bolster creators' rights by ensuring authors and performers retain perpetual ownership of their material while curbing indefinite corporate control of creative works. The group is likewise urging streaming services to revisit their agreements so that per-stream payouts are fairer, financial reporting is transparent and creators gain stronger powers to audit their accounts.