RedOne

The video for 'Follow Me', a collaboration led by RedOne with JIHYO, French Montana and Ludmilla, among others, centred on the 2026 World Cup, faced strong online criticism for its extensive use of AI-generated imagery, which many fans considered poorly executed for an international project.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Unveiled during the AFCON 2025 draw, RedOne's song 'Maghribi Maghribi' triggered a wave of criticism in Morocco concerning the lyrics, production, selection of performers and a performance during which several artists appeared not to know the words.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

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Directly implicated

Hafid Douzi withdrew from the AFCON 2025 song project overseen by RedOne. Hespress reported, citing corroborating sources, a contractual dispute and alleged failure to honour certain commitments agreed between the production team and the singer's management.

State of the evidence

Documented

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Directly implicated

The song associated with the Club World Cup hosted in Morocco was released late. Hespress reported tensions between performers and the film crew and FIFA interventions concerning certain props and costumes, while RedOne acknowledged that the concept had arrived late and that he had lacked inspiration when writing in Arabic.

State of the evidence

Disputed

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Le Desk's Pandora Papers investigation documented several offshore structures linked to Nadir Khayat (RedOne), notably in the British Virgin Islands and Seychelles, used to hold or receive international rights and royalties.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Le Desk describes RedOne as having close links with the Moroccan palace and its inner circle and using his international network to facilitate entertainment projects and the promotion of Morocco. This proximity fuels debate about privileged access to networks of power.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

RedOne Records signed an agreement with institutional stakeholders in Souss-Massa and ONMT to produce a video broadcast during the 2018 World Cup to promote Agadir. Following its release, local media and internet users challenged its cost-to-visibility ratio, arguing that the result showed too few of the city's distinctive features.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Le360 reported that the 2014 Club World Cup opening ceremony cost 9.5 million dirhams and that 5.4 million dirhams excluding tax was paid for 'Come Alive', composed by RedOne. The same article stated that the selected events company had been chosen through restricted consultation rather than a formal tender. Morocco World News repeated the figure of 5.4 million dirhams attributed to RedOne for the song.

State of the evidence

Documented

RedOne Productions and Nadir Khayat filed a federal lawsuit against Big Fish Audio in August 2010. RedOne maintained that Big Fish had licensed him an audio loop used in 'Bad Romance' despite not holding the rights to it, allegedly forcing him to resolve the dispute with the actual rights holder before seeking compensation.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Protagonist is the complainant