![]() ![]() The rapper’s song, which samples Chapman’s 1988 track “ Baby Let Me Hold You,” was supposed to appear on her fourth studio album, Queen, but she was unable to get it cleared. Tracy Chapman’s lawsuit stems from the bungled release of Minaj’s “ Sorry” in 2018. Now, a lawsuit Tracy Chapman has against Nicki Minajcould set yet another dangerous precedent for rap music. “The case precipitated a steady decline in sampling as labels grappled with the financial and logistical headaches of ensuring all artists were properly paid and credited.” “Rap artists believed this ruling set a dangerous precedent that would bankrupt them due to licensing or legal fees and would ultimately destroy hip-hop,” Rolling Stonesaid of the suit. But this landmark case made producers hesitant with how they sample moving forward. Nineteen years ago, sampling in hip-hop was forever changed when De La Soul was sued by the Turtles for using their song “ You Showed Me” on “ Transmitting Live From Mars.” The band’s lawsuit charged that “De La Soul used a four-bar section of the Turtles song (lasting 12 seconds) and ‘looped’ it so that the riff served as the music for the entire 66 seconds of the De La Soul piece.” The case was settled out of court, with former Turtles members Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman reportedly receiving as high as $1.7 million (although De La claim they never paid that much). However, with the advent of sampling has also come many, many music copyright lawsuits, especially for rap music. This process, commonly referred to as sampling, is rap’s blood, and across the genre’s history - from The Notorious B.I.G.’s “ Juicy” to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “ WAP” - it has defined the music, giving artists the means to recycle classics and obscure gems alike, into even bigger records. Since hip-hop’s earliest days, experimenting with the limbs of older songs and reaminating them inside of new records has existed. Nicki Minaj is being sued for sampling Tracy Chapman’s 1988 track “Baby Let Me Hold You.” Photo Credit: James Devaney/GC Images Tracy Chapman’s lawsuit against Nicki Minaj could have real implications toward hip-hop if a ruling is made in her favor. ![]()
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