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Birdman Sued By Music Giant

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Renowned record label Cash Money is making weekend headlines with reports claiming mega music giant EMI has sued Birdman’s company over unpaid royalties.

According to reports, Cash Money has failed to stay on top of paying its royalties.

Music giant EMI says Cash Money Records, the label that is home to rappers like Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj, owes nearly half a million dollars in royalty payments from a settlement agreement. In November 2009, EMI filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Cash Money in federal court in Manhattan. The licensing dispute resulted in a settlement agreement where Cash Money said it would pay royalties for the EMI songs Cash Money’s artists sampled on their own albums. But EMI says it had to sue again because Cash Money stopped making its quarterly royalty payments. (Courthouse News Service)

The label reportedly owes nearly $500,000 in damages to EMI.

According to the parties’ agreement, EMI is entitled to a multiplier penalty of 1.25, which means Cash Money owes more than $491,000 in damages. “The sales of Defendant’s products have far exceeded the payments that EMI has received,” the complaint states. “Once EMI realized that Defendant owed more money under the Second Payment it notified Defendant and explained that due to the increased sales, EMI was entitled to additional compensation,” the complaint continues. “It is clear from Defendant’s conduct that it has no intention of honoring the Agreement.” (Courthouse News Service)

Birdman’s label is known for its fair share of legal woes.

Cash Money has a long history of lawsuits, many of which end up settled. The label was served with three lawsuits in the same week last June — two for unpaid royalties and one for alleged copyright infringement. They’ve also faced lawsuits over their hit songs “Bedrock”, “A Milli” and “How to Love” (alleged copyright infringement, unpaid royalties and alleged breach of contract, respectively); for an alleged sexual assault for which they were claimed to be liable; and several others. (Soul Culture UK)

Outside of legal reports, Birdman is currently preparing the release of various Cash Money records throughout 2012.

Baby’s ambition is clear: the flamboyant Cash Money CEO wants to release 16 albums under the YMCMB umbrella within the first six months of this year. “I think bringing Fred [Durst] and Limp Bizkit to the team gives us a different look,” Birdman says. “We dominate rap, but we’re also trying to grow in different areas; Pop, rock, gospel, country.” Already, there’s a rash of artists under the YMCMB umbrella with music on the way. Bow Wow‘s, Underrated, LP and Lil Twist‘s, Don’t Get It Twisted drop a week apart on March 13 and March 20, respectively, while Nicki Minaj‘s, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is slated for April 3. New albums from Busta Rhymes and Mystikal–also new YMCMB signees–have summer release dates as well. (XXL Mag)

(Source: Sohh.com)

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Jumpoff TV on the DMX Interview

March 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As we all know, DMX was on Power 105 and gave a more than questionable, yet hilarious (and it’s sad because he was serious the majority of the time) interview. Check out the JumpOff TV’s viewpoint on the interview and chime in.

(Source: Jumpoff TV via Youtube)

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DMX Airs Out Drake & Ross During Interview

February 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

While Drake no longer has to worry about a rap battle with hip-hop veteran Common, the Young Money star may have to keep his eyes out on former Ruff Ryders leader DMX who has revealed his disinterest in him and Rick Ross.

Asked for his opinion on Rick Ross, X said he simply did not respect the rapper as a pure lyricist.

“Rick Ross ‘looks’ more like Biggie,” X said, speaking to “Breakfast Club” co-host Charlamagne Tha God. “[He's got lyrics?] Well I guess, I guess, I guess. I’m just not impressed, man. I’m not impressed. … He’s aight, man, he just talks about eating, girlfriends too much. How much can a n*gga eat? How much weed can you smoke? Like, aight. Let’s talk about something else. I know you got the Maybach, the Ashton Martin, OK. Good for you, d*mn. Come on. I see a whole ‘nother side of the coin, son.” (“The Breakfast Club”)

When presented with the question of how he feels about Drake, DMX did not censor himself on his issues toward the rapper.

“No, no,” X said when asked if he likes Drake. “I don’t like anything about Drake. I don’t like his f*cking voice. I don’t like what he talks about, I don’t like his face, I don’t like the way he walks, I don’t like nothing. I don’t like his haircut. I might just — let me shut up. Stop right there.” (“The Breakfast Club”)

Despite X’s criticisms, both hip-hop stars were named in MTV’s annual “Hottest MCs in the Game” list.

Ross topped the list, which also included Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa and Wale. Each MC was judged based on our Hottest criteria, which included impact, buzz, sales, lyrics, swag and the intangibles. Rozay surely met all of the above. His impact on the game is undeniable, with his Maybach Music Group and key guest appearances on songs like Meek Mill’s “Ima Boss” and Lil Wayne’s “John,” Ross maintained a consistent buzz all year long. His Self Made, Vol. 1 compilation album debuted at #1 on the Billboard rap albums chart. Lyrically, Rozay was a force as well, and his swag was through the roof. In January, the Bawse lit up the streets when he dropped his free 19-song Rich Forever mixtape. (MTV)

Recently, producer Timbaland dubbed Ross the new version of late music mogul Notorious B.I.G.

“Let me show y’all how to take it to the next level. The best with the best,” Tim said in the video. “He’s the newest, reincarnated B.I.G. and that’s coming from the heart — a n*gga who worked with B.I.G. I’m telling you like it is. I know rap stars and he’s one of the biggest rap stars who ever done it. I’m happy to be a part of it.” (Maybach Music Group)

(Via Sohh.com)

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Drake’s Ex Sues Over Marvins Room

February 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Hours after a woman claiming to be Young Money star Drake’s ex-girlfriend and the victim of a copyright violation, the rapper’s camp has stepped up to respond.

According to Drake’s spokesperson, Ericka Lee‘s accusations are completely false.

“This claim is entirely without merit and our client has not engaged in any wrongful conduct. Ericka Lee consented to the use of her voice in the song “Marvin’s Room” prior to its release. Lee asked only for the credit she received as “Syren Lyric Muse,” and she did not ask for any compensation,” a spokesperson for the rapper told Pop & Hiss on Friday. “It was only after she retained a lawyer that there was a demand for payment. Drake tried for months to resolve the matter amicably, and he now looks forward to being vindicated in court.” A source close to the performer also stressed the two were never engaged in a romantic relationship, despite her claims. (Los Angeles Times)

Details of Lee’s claims and legal action hit the Internet early Friday (February 3).

Ericka Lee, revealing herself to be Drake’s ex-girlfriend, has stepped up, saying she was the voice on the other end of the phone call. The woman is now suing Drake for excluding her from sharing co-writer royalties on one of his biggest recent hits. Lee filed the lawsuit on Thursday in California federal court claiming the two had a romantic and business partnership between early-2010 and mid-2011. During the relationship, the two are said to have traded poems and song lyrics and discussed joint creative projects. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Following an alleged messy break-up, Lee later contacted an attorney to put the suit into motion.

By November, Lee hired a lawyer, which allegedly caused Drake to make threatening phone calls. “What the f–k is your problem?” he said to her, according to the complaint, then offering her “4-5%” of publishing monies plus a $50,000 payout to go away. Instead, Lee has filed a lawsuit over “Marvin’s Room,” which has been viewed more than 39 million times on YouTube. She demands a judge declare her as co-writer of the song. She’s also seeking damages and disgorgement of profits on allegations of breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment. Lee is represented by Neville Johnson, who previously filed a lawsuit against Drake on behalf of a Playboy Enterprises for sampling an unauthorized sound recording it owned on “Best I Ever Had.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

The record premiered last summer and features production from Noah “40″ Shebib.

Get excited, Drake fans. According to his website, his sophomore album, Take Care, is due out in October and we should be hearing the first single in July. And if that isn’t enough for y’all, he has also come through with a brand-new track called “Marvins Room.” It’s far less rap-heavy than “Dreams Money Can Buy” and instead features Drizzy throwing on his R&B sad-man/storyteller hat throughout the nearly six-minute-long track. The result is a pretty epic cut that includes a track-ending piano solo and producer Noah “40″ Shebib’s trademark watery 808s. A single this is not, but I’ll be d*mned if it won’t make for a killer deep cut. (Prefix Mag)

-via sohh.com

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Common Explains The Origin of The Drake Beef

January 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Common and Drake have been exchanging shots at one another over the past few weeks, with the former most recently releasing a scathing diss remix to Rick Ross’ “Stay Schemin.” Speaking with Sirius Hip-Hop Nation last night, the Chicago, Illinois native said that the battle is not because Drizzy was hanging out with his ex-girlfriend Serena Williams, but more because he took it to the next level.

“Well, the song ‘Sweet,’ for me, was a song where I was really talking about Hip Hop. A lot of the softer side of Hip Hop is just being the example of what people think Hip Hop is. To me, you can express yourself in many different ways, but I was just missing that hardcore Hip Hop, that raw Hip Hop sound, and I was just talking about it. I was saying, man, the song ‘Sweet’ was cats out there doing sweet music. Dude must have took offense to it, so he came out and said some things, and once he said something on record, I said something on record.”

Common asserts that he did not intend to specifically diss Drake, but once he responded in concert, the floodgates opened.

“That was the first thing that he responded and said something. I was like, well, I wasn’t trying to address you specifically, but if you feel like you are that person and if you’re addressing this to me, then I have to address you back,” he continued. “But my whole mentality was that I’m doing this for Hip Hop music. I’m not trying to bring somebody down. At the end of the day, I just expressed what I felt about Hip Hop. And I’ma keep it on that level, just as an emcee. That’s how I battle. I don’t try to battle any other way than emceeing.”

Contrary to rumors on the Internet, the battle is not over Com’s ex-girlfriend Serena Williams. Though Drake was spotted with her following their breakup, Common maintains that it’s all because the Young Money rapper fired back.

“We know that things can get like that, but that’s not what we want for the culture, for ourselves as men. I think we learned enough from those days to be like, OK, if you’re going to challenge me as an artist, an emcee, I’ma let you know who I am.

You just gotta know what you in it for. I got in this because it’s Hip Hop. I was speaking up on the song ‘Sweet’ about, over and over we’re hearing a lot of singing. I listen to R&B, I listen to good R&B and soul music, so I’m not opposed to singing. I’ma be frank about that. But I just spoke up for the art of Hip Hop and what I feel about it, and I want everybody to know that Hip Hop is a diverse culture and it does have that boom bap to it too. Once he said something back, that’s when I said, aight, I guess you want to get in a battle with me. And if that’s what you want, then I’ll battle.”

(via HipHopDX.com)

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Birdman Gives His Thoughts on The Drake/Common Beef

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Birdman stresses the fact that Cash Money isn’t about diss records, but says Drake has their support.

Since the feud between rappers Common and Drake began late last year members of Young Money/Cash Money have remained relatively quiet in regards to their opinions on the beef between the two artists. But during a recent interview on Los Angeles’ Power 106, Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman finally voiced his opinion on the feud.

“Drake the homie so we ride or die. Ain’t no second questions about that, but we never been a brand to make records and want to make money off of making records of other people that’s not what we about,” Birdman explained. “So to me however the young homie deal with it we behind him, we supporting him 100 percent with our life so that’s just what it is. Ain’t no other way. Drake the lil’ homie that’s blood, that’s family, and ain’t no siding with that. It’s Drake or nothing.”

Birdman went on to stress the fact that his label isn’t about diss records or the profit that comes with releasing those types of records.

“We don’t do all that. We never did that,” said Birdman. “Never was about making money off of music off of diss records. That’s not how we operate. We try to give the fans – I mean when you get caught up in that to me you forget what this about. And it’s about the people and that’s what we do. We do our music for the people. We never been a brand to diss and diss records and try to make money that’s not us. But Drake the homie and we support him fully and whatever he ‘bout we ‘bout. However that turns out that’s just what it is.”

The beef between Common and Drake, which seemed close to being finished, was reawakened this week thanks to the release of Common’s “Stay Schemin Remix.”

(Via HipHopDx.com)

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Common Fires Shots at Drake Again on Stay Schemin’ Remix

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Weeks after Common started a feud with Drake with some vaguely antagonistic lyrics on “Sweet,” a track off his album “The Dreamer/The Believer,” Common attacks the Canadian superstar head-on in a new remix to “Stay Schemin’,” a Rick Ross track that features Drake.

On “Stay Schemin’,” a track off the Ross mixtape “Rich Forever” released last Friday (Jan. 7), Drake alludes to Common’s recent verbal attacks with the words, “Don’t be ducking like you never wanted nothin’/It’s feeling like rap changed, it was a time it was rugged/Back when if a n—a reached, it was for the weapon/Nowadays n—as reach just to sell their record.” Common then fired back with an explicit diss of Drake on his own remix of “Stay Schemin,” which was released on Monday (Jan. 9)

“My motto is Chicago bitch/ Everybody know you sweet, what the problem is/ Don’t play dumb, I’m the one that acknowledged it/ Son of a bitch, imagine what your father is,” Common raps on the remix. Later, Common rhymes, “I’m taking too long with this amateur guy/You ain’t wet nobody, n—a, you Canada dry,” and then he eventually calls the rapper out by name: “Soft n—a, make no mistake, I’m talking to Drake. It’s the remix. Rick Ross, Common, and that hoe ass n—a.”

The war of words began with Common’s track “Sweet,” in which he declares, “Y’all n—as man, you soft motherfuckas… Singing all around me man, ‘la la la!’ You ain’t motherfuckin’ Frank Sinatra. Uh. Lil’ bitch.” Drake then told the crowd at a California performance, “I don’t give a fuck if you got something to say to me. Say it to my motherfuckin’ face, n—a. Just cause I sing I’m not no bitch. So if you got something to say, I’m right here.”

Which rapper has the upper hand here?

(Additional reporting by Jason Lipshutz)

- Bilboard.com

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