Jay-Z and Kanye West could be facing legal action over allegations that they used an un-cleared sample.
Hip hop and sampling have always had a fraught relationship. Way back when, innovative rap stable Sugar Hill was brought to its knees after ‘White Lines’ became an international success without clearing the bassline.
Now two modern day heavyweights could face a battle. Kanye West and Jay-Z released ‘Watch The Throne’ earlier this year, their first full length sparring match with each artist sharing the mic.
Stand out track ‘The Joy’ began life as part of Kanye West’s ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ but was rejected. Later selected to appear on ‘Watch The Throne’ is seems that the re-worked version did not gain full legal clearance.
Using a sample from Syl Johnson’s classic slice of soulful funk ‘Different Strokes’ the cut could now face a legal battle. The soul veteran expressed his outrage earlier this year, and Billboard now reports that Johnson has filed a claim against the hip hop pairing.
Filing a lawsuit in an Illinois Federal court, Syl Johnson alleges that the rappers used the song without proper clearance. Continuing, Billboard lists a number of other artists who have locked horns with Johnson and lost – anxiously for Jay-Z and Kanye West, it includes big names such as Michael Jackson…
In a statement earlier this year, Syl Johnson’s label Numero Group issued a statement launching the fight. “Wondering why we weren’t consulted on this new use, and baffled why we appear in the credits, for which we never asked, we contacted the sample clearance house. Even they cannot get a response from their own clients.”
“Island Def Jam seems to think that Syl doesn’t have any fight left in him. We’re betting otherwise.”
Kanye West / Jay-Z have yet to respond.
