Roddy Ricch and Producer 30 Roc Sued for Alleged Copyright Infringement Over “The Box”
Roddy Ricch
Roddy Ricch Faces A Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over His 2019 Hit ‘The Box’
Roddy Ricch is facing a new lawsuit for allegedly not thinking outside of his 2019 single, “The Box.” A musician named Greg Perry filed the claim against Ricch, Atlantic Records, and producer 30 Roc, alleging that Ricch copied his 1975 song “Come On Down.” Specifically, Perry has noted it as a copyright infringement for mirroring the violin instrumental at the beginning.
“Expert musicology analysis confirms that the ascending minor scale played by violin at the opening of ‘Come On Down’ is a distinctive musical element which recurs a total of six times throughout the song,” the lawsuit reads, according to Rolling Stone.
“Comparative analysis of the beat, lyrics, hook, rhythmic structure, metrical placement, and narrative context by a musicology expert demonstrates clearly and convincingly that ‘The Box’ is an unauthorized duplication and infringement of certain elements of ‘Come On Down,’” the document also states.
Perry’s “Come On Down” isn’t a random pick either. The song has been frequently referenced in rap, from Epic Records giving him 60 percent interest in Young Jeezy’s 2008 song, “Wordplay,” to Epic Records obtaining a sample for Yo Gotti’s “I Remember.”
“The use of the distinctive compositional elements of ‘Come On Down’ have remained so popular in both the R&B and rap community that access to the composition is firmly established,” Perry’s lawsuit mentions about the song’s usage.
Listen to the two songs below.
Roddy Ricch is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Roddy Ricch And ‘The Box’ Producer Sued For Copyright Infringement On Song’s Three-Year Anniversary
Roddy Ricch just celebrated the three-year anniversary of his smash single “The Box.” However, on the same day, Roddy, the song’s producer 30 Roc, and Atlantic Records are all being sued for copyright infringement for allegedly ripping the beginning of the song.
According to TMZ, musical artist Greg Perry claims that “The Box” took certain key elements of his 1975 song “Come On Down (Get Your Head Out Of The Clouds)” and put them in the beginning of “The Box” without his permission.
Perry also argues that the two similarities are undeniable and claims that a “musicology expert clearly and convincingly” says that the two songs share melody, form, and structure.
Take a listen for yourself below.
Roddy nor the song’s producer or Atlantic Records have spoken about the recent lawsuit. However, what might help their case is a Genius: Deconstructed video published in 2020 featuring producer 30 Roc breaking down how the song was made.
30 Roc shows in the video that the sound in question actually came from a VST he downloaded to his production software. For those unaware of what a VST is, a VST (Virtual Studio Technology) is a program filled with sounds that allow producers and musicians to play instruments on their computers without actually having the instrument. 30 Roc even dispelled rumors in the video that the beginning used the sample, and showed the sound coming from the VST.
The post Roddy Ricch And ‘The Box’ Producer Sued For Copyright Infringement On Song’s Three-Year Anniversary appeared first on The Source.
The Best New Music This Week: Roddy Ricch, Smino, Freddie Gibbs, and More
Roddy Ricch, “Stop Breathing”
Smino f/ J. Cole, “90 Proof”
Freddie Gibbs, “Space Rabbit”
DVSN f/ Jagged Edge, “What’s Up”
YG f/ Nas, “No Weapon”
Quavo & Takeoff, “Nothing Changed”
Kenzo Balla f/ TG Crippy, “Evil Twinz”
Roddy Ricch Shares ‘Stop Breathing,’ A Boastful New Single
Roddy Ricch is continuing to offer fans new music. Just months after the release of his latest EP, The Big 3, Roddy is gearing up for his new mixtape, Feed Tha Streets 3. Earlier this month, Roddy shared the G Herbo and Doe Boy-assisted “Ghetto Superstar.” Tonight, he has shared his latest mixtape cut, “Stop Breathing.”
The song is a braggadocious anthem, on which, he proudly displays his jewelry, and of course, his high fashion.
“Look out the window, what do I see? / A couple yachts, they got some thots that trot the seven seas / Got CC’s and Louis V’s outta every season / Corner me please, four G’s make them stop breathin’,” he rap-sings on the chorus.
In the song’s accompanying video, Roddy guides viewers through a day in his life, as he boards jets, dons fresh Louis Vuitton, and hits the stage with Post Malone during his “Twelve Carat” tour.
Back in August, Roddy shared an update on the mixtape in the form of a since-deleted open letter on Instagram. He noted that he was in a good place mentally, after having deactivated social media earlier this year.
“Been working hard on this Feed Tha Streets 3 album, getting back to my regular regimen and also been happier than I’ve been in a long time,” he said. “I understand things have escalated quickly and God has taken us to places we never would’ve imagined possible but I’m here for every challenge and obstacle. Thank You to everybody whose [sic] stayed supportive of me through all the glorious moments and all the hard times.”
Check out “Stop Breathing” above.
Feed Tha Streets 3 will arrive later this year via Atlantic.
Roddy Ricch is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Roddy Ricch Addresses His Hometown With An Urgent Message In The Wake Of PnB Rock’s Murder
A week after the murder of PnB Rock in Los Angeles, one of the city’s most prominent native sons addressed his hometown with an urgent message. Roddy Ricch, who was born and bred in Compton, the same notorious LA suburb that gave the world NWA, Kendrick Lamar, and the Williams sisters, posted a rare missive on social media regarding the murder, sharing his thoughts via Instagram Story on Tuesday (Sept 20).
“LA! Usually I try to mind my business and let the world rotate but we gotta do better,” he wrote. “It’s too much senseless violence. Too much opportunity and motivation to take things other people work hard for. It’s too much life to live to take someone else’s away. I love my city but we can’t keep going out like this. Before you know it, it’ll be nobody left to take from or kill. Let’s stay on point stay aware and find better ways to pursue our dreams because this shit turning into ALL NIGHTMARES.”
Roddy’s message is the latest in an ongoing discussion among rap fans that have posited LA as a hotspot of violence against rappers. In the past three years, multiple prominent rappers have been killed in LA, including Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, and Drakeo The Ruler. Of course, nearly every city has seen increased incidents of violence including Young Dolph, Archie Eversole, Trouble, JayDa Youngan, and more. These incidents have been attributed to any number of reasons, from botched strong-arm robberies to gang rivalries.
Unfortunately, what appears to be an epidemic among rappers is again merely a microcosm of larger social ills especially wealth inequality, lack of mental health treatment for Black and Latino communities, and deeply ingrained, toxic notions of masculinity. Equally, unfortunately, LA can appear to be a center point of this violence, because so much of the music industry is based there, meaning that there are more rappers there at any given time to be preyed upon by hungry stick-up kids — as was recently pointed out by PnB Rock himself before his death.
The only permanent solution is to change the environment for the better, addressing the inequalities that leave so many angry and desperate enough to take such extreme measures. Until then, Uncle Ice-T might have the best advice: Tuck in those chains and stay off social media.
Roddy Ricch Urges L.A. to End ‘Senseless Violence’ Following PnB Rock’s Murder: ‘We Can’t Keep Going Out Like This’
Symba & Roddy Ricch For “Never Change” Single
‘DJ Drama Presents: Results Take Time (A Gangsta Grillz Special Edition’ arrives Sept. 16.