Soul music veteran Syl Johnson has officially filed a lawsuit against superstar rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, claiming the pair illegally sampled one of his songs. The lawsuit claims that the pair swiped elements of his classic 1967 song “Different Strokes” and used it in a song titled “The Joy” on their latest album, Watch The Throne.
Syl Johnson’s Syl-Zel Music filed the lawsuit in United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern division. Lawyers for Johnson claimed that Jay-Z and Kanye West attempted to clear a sample of “Different Strokes” on a song for inclusion on another one of Kanye West’s albums, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
They were not able to receive the proper permission to use the sample in time for the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and the track was subsequently left off of the album.
Johnson’s lawsuit claims that Jay-Z and Kanye West never received permission to sample “Different Strokes” but the pair used it anyway and released it on their Watch The Throne album on “The Joy.”
“Defendants are aware that Plaintiff’s own the copyrights to ‘Different Strokes’ as Defendants attempted to obtain permission to use an excerpt from this composition on West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” Johnson’s lawyer wrote in the complaint. “When Defendants were unable to legally obtain the rights to this composition for West’s album, Defendants withheld releasing ‘The Joy.’ Despite having never received permission to use an excerpt from ‘Different Strokes,’ Defendants nonetheless released ‘The Joy’ shortly thereafter on Watch The Throne.”
Syl Johnson and his Syl-Zel Music company seek to impound all copies of Watch The Throne, in addition to a full accounting of sales and publishing proceeds, along with punitive damages.
Damn, that sounds like an open and shut case…
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meezy:
Good on these guys. Heard a bit of their music, not my stuff tho. They probably wont blow up in the US/westerncountries but i guess this gives GOOD Music greater access to the African market because these guys are huge over there.Dare:
I've been reading HHDX for the past 5 years and relying on them for all my Hip hop info. I feel so proud today to see this milestone achievement covered in my favoutite hiphop site. I would love to congratulate D'banj and Don Jazzy for being original artistes and not trying to be lil wayne and Kanye imitations like the bulk of the artistes in Nigeria. Americans appreciate it when u keep it real and not try to be like them. They have a plethora of gimmicky rappers already in the US and dont need Africans to try and immitate them. I feel so proud to be Nigerian today! This is a very good look for us!Lashele Ngwalayou Sebastien
lashele:
D'banj i love your sound system and can only say keep up with the flag of 9ja rising to the highest.likewise camair and afrik.jason, stop flaming:
jason, stop flaming on every video dick ridin cheesy pop songs like how to love. stop dissing nas and eminem. get your head outta your ass, you 13 year old fag!Anonymous:
good looking from Kanye ,Africa is the origin of soul, jazz, and hip hop music D banj is talented and Don jazzy is a very good producer. big up Africa and thank u Mr Kanye west.Woodruf234:
well its a good signing but i don't see D'banj's usefulness there.. Don jazzy is a good producer..F**K G.O.O.D MUSIC..ONE N9JAosuji:
GOD THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR NIGERIA.AFTER JONATHAN MET WITH OBAMA.NOW KANYE WEST SIGN UP MOHITS.CONGRATULATIONS DBANJ AND DONJAZZY AGAIN. OSSSSEE OMO OBA.LOVE
08034740170
GEORGE
Bantu:
Holla bantunomics for life the illest Bantu rappers on planet earth at all timesAnonymous:
Ameriaca is Finished thats why they looking at other Emerging Markets AFRICA Lol.its time Fella we Gotta pay attention Akon be killing it out the Top Boys the DIDDYS,JAYZs,50cents,making the Millions.NAija boys we SaluteAfrica Stand Up.
GOLD AND RICHES=HELL AND FIRE:
DONT THANK GOD YALL NIKKAZ JUST SIGNED THE DEAL WITH THE DEVIL GOD DONT LIKE THATIkenna Berkley Jones
USA:
shut the fuck up you and your flygerian shit u get paid in red cross ricedc_reppin:
@USA. How bout YOU shut the fuck up with ur ignorant ass. u get paid in fuckin mcdonalds food stampsLord V:
Fucking idiot.. Nigerians are richer than your broke ass, balling on credit, food stamp dealing self.. we fucks with raw cash. Idiot.. Why didnt ur mama abort you.. fool.. You gon see this is d best thing that happened to GOOD.. Jazzy is one of d best producers alive50centisGay:
Who the hell are these dudes?Is kanye gonna sell their records in africa? cos aint no one here buying their jungle musicIkenna Berkley Jones
B. Emerson 909:
Look at the GOOD Music roster and try to find one bad artist on it..Kanye doesn't just sign anybody, they must be dope if they caught his attention.Bossboy R. Olumodeji
Dennis Ndiema Ndiech
hilsibent:
if u got nothin positive 2 say bout the motherland stfu!bet yet get a job,hatin ass crab.those 2 brothas are makin moves,from notin 2 somethinbobby:
am an african but wad u seds dats real talk i lived in england all ma life but now am @ america n i still dont listen to dat...no disrespect to any one but if dey sell da songs in america no one wud buy itt still...but am happy for them anywayySouthern:
waste of money...he coulda signed XVBossboy R. Olumodeji
africaunite:
ur on point wit dat one...mode9 is in my top ten most sickest emceez in this continent....better than anyone in that GOOD music rooster...i just wish he make a joint on a premo beat or just blaze....osasp:
mode 9 - not marketable - (kinda lyk tech 9yne)terry da rapman - sold out dead beat (has neva been good anyway)
blaise - she started out in her own lane but drifted off
naeto c - wannabe american rapper(u think they aint seen enough of those already?)
'those 2' are very spontaneous and you cant front on don jazzys skills. . .he still shits on any top producer in naija
all of the above are a personal opinion
davenchy:
Malik Yusef on GOOD music is a spoken word artist. .will u say he's not marketable?? Put a producer like Kanye or GOODmusic's Hitboy behind Modenine and u'll recognize wat a sick mc Modenine is. Me think DonJazzy was the main target Dbanj is just a freebie. .talk about gettin 2 fir the price of one! But GOOD move for the duononedaless! its Naijaaaa!!NAIJA4LIFE:
NAIJA IN DA GOOD MUZIKSeun:
It's 9999999jaa. Kanye West + Don Jazzy + D'banj = Good Music