Month: April 2023

French Montana Lands Partial Victory In Lawsuit Over “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’”

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French Montana has secured a partial victory in the lawsuit regarding his 2013 hit, “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’.” Judge Nancy L. Maldonado of the Northern District of Illinois granted the rapper a summary motion to three of his five issues against producer Eddie Lee Richardson in a ruling, late last week. Richardson sued Montana for allegedly copying his copyrighted instrumental song, “Hood Pushin’ Weight.”

Despite the victory in those areas, Maldonado also denied Montana’s claim that “any infringement was innocent or not willful.” The judge stated that Richardson’s claim for damages is still applicable in the 378 live performances of the song since April 2016. Unfortunately for Richardson, Montana claims that he made no money off of the live performances of the song in question.

French Montana At Coachella In 2018

INDIO, CA – APRIL 15: French Montana performs onstage during the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Field on April 15, 2018 in Indio, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella)

Maldonado explained that the issue is whether a copyright holder “has an exclusive right to public performance of his copyright depends on whether his work is registered as a ‘sound recording’ or a ‘musical composition.’ While [the] plaintiff can pursue a claim based on distribution of his work under either type of registration, if plaintiff only has a ‘sound recording’ copyright, then he can only maintain a copyright infringement action for performances of his work by ‘digital audio transmission.’”

Tyiase Hasan, who represents Richardson, wasn’t entirely happy with the result. He explained that Richardson had already conceded the three points in the lawsuit. “The infringement here is as plain as day,” he told Law360. Dariush Adli of Adli Law Group PC, who represents Montana, recently told Law360: “We believe the jury will likely not find the infringement to have been willful because the undisputed evidence shows that plaintiff reached out to French only once, in 2013, about potential [infringement] and that French referred him to the music producer, Rico Love.” He added, “However, plaintiff did not sue Rico Love because the 3 years statute of limitations had run on that claim.”

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Questlove, Japanese Breakfast, & More Pay Tribute To Ryuichi Sakamoto

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Ryuichi Sakamoto, the legendary Japanese composer who rose to prominence as a member of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, passed away at the age of 71. In the wake of the announcement, Questlove, Japanese Breakfast, and many other artists shared tributes for the late musician on social media. Sakamoto was initially diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but appeared to be doing well for quite some time. In 2021, he announced that the cancer had returned.

“While undergoing treatment for cancer discovered in June 2020, Sakamoto continued to create works in his home studio whenever his health would allow,” Sakamoto’s management, Commmons, wrote in a statement. “He lived with music until the very end. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to his fans and all those who have supported his activities, as well as the medical professionals in Japan and the U.S. who did everything in their power to cure him. In accordance with Sakamoto’s strong wishes, the funeral service was held among his close family members.”

Ryuichi Sakamoto With David Byrne At The Academy Awards

LOS ANGELES – APRIL 11: Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, musician David Byrne of Talking Heads and composer Cong Su attend the 60th Annual Academy Awards on April 11, 1988 at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Questlove paid tribute in an Instagram post, writing: “Thank You Ryuichi Sakamoto for your gifts. Sad to see another force leave this planet. Even if he name isn’t familiar his influence on ANY artist you ever tested your b-boy b-girl poppin/lockin/breakdance/electric boogie sites HIM as their god.”

Close friend and collaborator, Alva Noto, also wrote on Twitter: “We will miss you on this side of life. A void is left that I cannot fully grasp at the moment. Our deepest condolences to those who were closest to him.” Japanese Breakfast further remarked, “I am so so sad. What a loss.”

Over the course of his career, Sakamoto won an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, as well as 2 Golden Globe Awards as a film-score composer. He worked on The Last Emperor, The Revenant, Snake Eyes, and more over the years.

Ryuichi Sakamoto Tributes

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Ray J Wants A “Verzuz” Rematch With Sammie, Pleasure P, & Bobby Valentino

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Ray J says he wants a Verzuz rematch with Sammie, Pleasure P, and Bobby Valentino. He explained why he wants to “run it back” during an Instagram post on Friday night. The group previously faced off back in June 2022.

“Listen, everybody talking ’bout their get back on Verzuz. I want my get back,” he began. “You know what I’m saying? Can I get my get back, Sammie? Can I get my get back, P? Even Bobby Valentino, you switched sides fam. When I looked back you was on they side. I know ya’ll all from the A but God damn, we supposed to be a team. Ya’ll back there singing my songs and shit, throwing me off.”

Ray J With Brandy

OXON HILL, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 05: Ray J and Brandy attend 2019 Urban One Honors at MGM National Harbor on December 05, 2019 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Photo by Brian Stukes/WireImage)

In the past, Ray J previously blamed his poor performance on being drunk on Casamigos, but now is saying that he “over-rehearsed.” “I over-rehearsed, you know? I learned from what I did wrong and I want my get back, too. Can ya’ll run me my get back? I’m ready to get back right now. Were we at?” He further added: I done drank my tea. Pops done got me right. You feel what I’m saying? Brandy got me strong mentally.”

In response to the new request, fans shared plenty of laughs in the comments section of Ray J’s post. “They was singing his songs is what had me in TEARS,” one wrote. Another joked, “you want that embarrassment again, really?” Ray J even commented in response to the fans, “NAH I LOST AND WON – I JUST WANNA WIN 4Real!!”

Despite wanting another shot against the group, Ray J has asked fans to leave his Verzuz performance in the past. “Can we put this behind us. Lol leave it in 2022???” he said at the dawn of the new year. Check out his full explanation on wanting a rematch with Sammie, Pleasure P, and Bobby Valentino on Verzuz below.

Ray J Pleads For A “Verzuz” Rematch

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French Montana Secures Partial Victory In The Lawsuit Surrounding His 2013 Song ‘Ain’t Worried About Nothin’

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French Montana SiriusXM Studios 2023
Getty Image

French Montana spends a lot of time tied up in litigation. Late last month, the “Keep It Real” rapper was hit with a civil lawsuit for $50,000 over a shooting that occurred on the set of one of his music videos. Although no major updates have taken place in that case, another one of the cases he’s battling has shifted in his favor.

Back in 2019, the rapper was sued for intellectual property infringement that claimed his 2013 song “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’” stole the instrumental from Eddie Lee Richardson (professionally known as Hotwire the Producer). However, in documents exclusively retrieved by HipHopDX, the judge presiding over the case, Nancy L. Maldonadom, has partially ruled in Montana’s favor.

Maldonado granted a summary motion to three of his five issues against producer Richardson. The judge did, however, deny the rapper’s request to rule that “any infringement was innocent or not willful.” The outlet notes that Richardson had conceded three of the five points in the lawsuit, and the judge’s summary motion leaves Montana to fight it out on the remaining two points (public performance with the instrumental and derivative works).

Tyiase Hasan, the representative for Richardson told Law360 piece, “There were no objections, and the parties were already in agreement.” adding, “the infringement here is as plain as day.”

On the other side, Dariush Adli, who represents Montana, said, “We believe the jury will likely not find the infringement to have been willful because the undisputed evidence shows that plaintiff reached out to French only once, in 2013, about potential [infringement] and that French referred him to the music producer, Rico Love.” He added, “However, plaintiff did not sue Rico Love because the 3 years statute of limitations had run on that claim.”

Wiz Khalifa Responds To Jokes About His Feet With Poem

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Wiz Khalifa has shared a poem addressing the recent jokes being made about his feet. The rapper had shared a photo from his studio boldly featuring his bare feet, prompting plenty of comments from fans. Khalifa shared the new poem, titled “Stop Making Jokes About My Feet,” on Saturday.

“’Sup y’all, it’s Wiz Khalifa here,” he opened the clip. “Been hearing a lot of talk on the internet. You know, I usually don’t address things, but I figured I would address it in this way because I like to express myself. And this is how I like to express myself. I wrote a little poem, it’s called, ‘Stop Making Jokes About My Feet.’”

Wiz Khalifa At The Premiere Of “Spinning Gold”

Wiz Khalifa at the premiere of “Spinning Gold” held at the Directors Guild of America on March 29, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

As for the poem itself, it starts, “Stop making jokes about my feet, because that shit ain’t funny. Y’all keep making jokes about my feet, but bitch I got money. You ain’t gonna say it to my face, but you’ll talk about me when I’m gone. Your toes probably look like that, too, but you got nail polish on. When I seen all those tweets, you can’t imagine how I felt. I get pedicures but my feet still dry. So don’t laugh, send help. Stop talking about my feet, ‘cause that shit ain’t funny. Y’all keep making jokes about my feet, but bitch I got money.”

It continues: “When I log online I seen all types of disrespect, bunch of n****s talking shit. Not one nail tech. Talking crazy about Wiz Khalifa, like your shit so neat. Look down past your phone and take a picture of your own damn feet. Stop making jokes about my feet, because that shit ain’t funny. Y’all keep making jokes about my feet, but bitch I got money.”

The jokes come as Wiz made his acting debut in the new film, Spinning Gold. The film follows Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart and features Wiz as George Clinton.

Wiz Khalifa Response To The Jokes

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