Comedian Sued By 'Lion King' Chant Composer For $27M After Going Viral With 'Joke' Misinterpretation

In Lakȟótiyapi—the language of the Indigenous American Lakȟóta of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ nation—there is a saying, Šúŋkawakȟáŋ ota wičháyuha or Tašúŋke ota wičháyuha.

The exact translation, "their horses are many," doesn't seem to mean much.

But culturally, horses were a symbol of prowess, prestige, and pride for the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (a.k.a. the Great Sioux Nation) and for most tribes in North America. A person may own no horses, but be described by the phrase Šúŋkawakȟáŋ ota wičháyuha.

The phrase means they're more than competent in their role and have good fortune and stature because of it. But for a person learning only the direct translation without the cultural context, it just sounds like somebody owns a bunch of horses.

The phrase "lost in translation" refers to situations like this. Native speakers know the cultural relevance, while people learning just word for word translations miss the true meaning behind words or phrases.

Such is the case with the chant at the beginning of the Lion King song "Circle of Life." For years, many people assumed the chant was simply vaguely African sounding vocalizations added by lyricist Tim Rice to enhance the music by Elton John and Hans Zimmer.

But the opening of the song was composed and performed by South African composer Lebo M in the isiXhosa and isiZulu languages of the Indigenous African Xhosa and Zulu people of southern Africa.

The chant is actually:

"Nants' ingonyama bakithi Baba"

"Sithi huuu ingonyama"

"Nants' ingonyama bangakithi babo"

"Sithi huuu ingonyama"

"Hay baba ingonyama"

"Sizo nqoba baba"

"Ingonyama nengw' enamabala"

You can hear the opening performed by Lebo M here:

Now millions of Millennials and Gen Zs who grew up with The Lion King (1994), the Broadway musical, or the live action adaptation, are having a collective moment after learning what the literal translation of the lyrics mean courtesy of Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi.

During the February 25, 2026 podcast of One54 Africa, Jonasi shared the literal translation of the first few lines:

"Nants' ingonyama bakithi Baba"

"Sithi huuu ingonyama"

According to Jonasi, those lines mean:

"Look, there's a lion"

"Oh my God, look at the lion"

You can see a clip of Jonasi sharing his translation here:

What were once thought of as meaningful lyrics matching the tone of the song "Circle of Life" have become a punchline.

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The conclusion many are making based on Jonasi's interpretation is that Grammy Award-winning composer Lebo M just took Xhosa and Zulu words that sounded good, but held no real meaning for his portion of the song. And that's not sitting well with the South African producer and composer.

Lebo M and Jonasi sparred on social media over the joke.

Lebo M wrote on Instagram:

"While meant as humor, it turned something deeply meaningful into a joke."

"The truth is, these words are not random sounds. They come from language, culture, and heritage."

"'Nants’ Ingonyama' carries a history and a spirit that deserves to be understood with the respect it was created in."

"So today, I respond."

You can see his post here:

Lebo M contended that Jonasi shared a literal translation, but not the meaning of the lyrics, which are cultural and historical—and not a part of Jonasi's culture.

Lebo M claims Jonasi's version is a "fabricated, trivializing distortion" of the true meaning.

He said:

"Nants’ Ingonyama is not a viral catchphrase. It is not an internet remix. It is Praise Imbongi — royal praise poetry carried in metaphor, lineage and living memory."

"Lion" is an honorific referring to royalty and the chant is a proclamation of a new king with deep meaning for the Zulu and Xhosa people it comes from.

Lebo M shared the real meaning of the lyrics, saying:

"All hail the king. Bow in the presence of the royal family. It is a metaphor written by myself in Zulu and Xhosa, reflecting South African cultural heritage, language and traditions."

Jonasi also responded with a statement on Instagram, saying things were "getting out of hand."

Jonasi added:

"He came with an attitude and said I disrespected his work."

But then Jonasi admitted:

"Personally, I had no idea that it had a deeper meaning."

Which is often the case when people not from a culture try to speak on behalf of that culture as if they know what they're talking about. Nevertheless, Jonasi called Lebo M xenophobic for his reaction to his misinterpretation of the lyrics' meaning.

One of the podcasters from One54 Africa, Nigerian-American Godfrey the Comic, jumped into the comments to support Jonasi.

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Both men faced backlash from the people whose culture they misrepresented to make what Jonasi is now calling a "joke translation" and not the real meaning, a point not made during the podcast.

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Lebo M responded again on Instagram, including an apology for his personal attacks against Jonasi, but adding he first approached Jonasi for a private conversation.

Jonasi responded by posting that he's selling T-shirts mocking the lyrics.

So Lebo M is fighting back with a lawsuit against Jonasi to the tune of $27 million (USD).

African based media outlets are reporting the amount as $20 million. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 17, cites “damaging misrepresentations, defamatory conduct, and unlawful commercial exploitation” of the globally acclaimed “Nants’ Ingonyama” chant.

Speaking on behalf of Lebo M, Tshepo Mboni said it is not merely a legal matter but a cultural correction.

Mboni stated:

"Nants’ Ingonyama is not a punchline, nor a casual reference point for exploitation. It is a sacred Royal Praise Chant, rooted in African identity, spirituality and storytelling."

"We are taking a firm and uncompromising stance against any form of misrepresentation, defamation, or unauthorised commercial use that undermines its significance and Lebo M’s legacy."

The suit is for defamation, trade libel, tortious interference, and violating the Lanham Act.