Popek announced he is ending his 25-year music career after YouTube deleted over 250 of his videos, including approximately 200 original tracks and older material from the WagWan channel.
The Bottom Line
- The Catalyst: Copyright complaints filed by a fan named Marta led to the removal of Popek’s tracks, including “Dirty Diana” and “Mamo, tato,” via Sony Music Publishing and YouTube.
- The Scale of Loss: Popek reports that over 250 videos have been wiped out, taking away two and a half decades of artistic output and archived garage recordings.
- The Response: Moving away from his initial defiant stance, a visibly shaken Popek declared online that he has lost the fight and is stepping away from music.
Copyright Strikes and the Takedown of 250 Tracks
The conflict centers around unauthorized musical interpolations that drew the attention of high-profile copyright holders. The trouble began when clips for Popek’s songs “Dirty Diana” (released in 2014) and “Mamo, tato” (released in August 2026) were flagged and removed from YouTube. The latter track featured a prominent piano melody and motifs from Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” A fan of the band, identified as Marta, emailed Phil Symes, the longtime spokesperson and publicity representative for Queen, alerting him to the unauthorized usage. The query reached Sony Music Publishing, which manages the Queen catalog, resulting in formal copyright strikes and the removal of the videos. Marta also targeted “Dirty Diana,” which contained samples from Michael Jackson’s song of the same name.
What started as a localized dispute quickly escalated into a massive catalog wipeout. Popek’s feud with Marta intensified when subsequent mass deletions struck his online presence. According to the rapper, over 250 items were purged from YouTube, wiping out roughly 200 of his own original compositions. The losses included rare older materials and underground recordings hosted on the WagWan channel, which fans knew as his classic garage sessions. While “Dirty Diana” remained accessible on streaming platforms, the visual components and a vast portion of his independent digital archive vanished overnight.
From Defiant Promotion to Public Surrender
Popek’s reaction to the initial takedowns was dismissive and confrontational. The rapper initially mocked the situation, calling the removal “free advertising” and daring critics to challenge him further. He publicly attacked the woman responsible, using aggressive language that prompted a harsher enforcement cycle. However, the tone shifted dramatically once the scale of the platform purges became fully apparent.
In a deeply emotional video statement, Popek abandoned his tough-guy persona to address his listeners directly. Describing the psychological toll of the ordeal, the rapper admitted defeat. I wanted to say goodbye to you. Thank you for 25 years of being in love with the best girl in the world—her name is music,
Popek stated. I am devastated. I never asked you for anything, I played for you. Not gonna lie, I also have a moment of weakness (…) I gave up. I have to end my career because Mrs. Marta is here. No offense to Marta, I have nothing against Marta.
An Uncertain Musical Future
The sudden dismantling of his digital archive left the artist grappling with an existential crisis regarding his legacy. Despite courting controversy throughout his career, Popek frequently acknowledged that his tracks provided emotional resonance or relief for listeners facing difficult times. Confronted with the loss of 25 years of work, he made a direct plea to his audience for guidance on how to rebuild or salvage what remains.
Fans are left watching to see whether the announcement marks a permanent retirement or a temporary reaction to profound distress. The rapper did not file a formal communication regarding the end of his musical activities, leaving the status of his remaining catalog and future releases hanging in the balance. With his core library fractured by copyright enforcement, the future of the artist remains uncertain.
