Details of the unexpected lawsuit landed online early Saturday(February 23) morning.
Lil Wayne and Birdman’s label Cash Money Records is in the hot seat over allegations it illegally used a sample from a 70s song in one of Bow Wow’s recent tracks. The septuagenarian behind the lawsuit is Robert Poindexter from the 70s band The Persuaders. Poindexter claims Cash Money sampled his band’s song “Love Gonna Pack Up (and Walk Out)” and illegally lifted the tune in Bow Wow’s 2010 track “Still Ballin.” As for “Love Gonna Pack Up (and Walk Out)” — the song was recorded in 1972 and reached the top of the charts … and Poindexter says neither Cash Money nor Bow Wow ever obtained permission to sample it. (TMZ)
Despite various attempts at reaching out, Poindexter has come up short and now wants over $500,000 in damages.
Poindexter claims he reached out to Cash Money for an answer, and was redirected to Bow Wow’s attorneys, who then directed him back to Cash Money … which is why Cash Money’s currently in his crosshairs. Poindexter wants $600,000 in punitive damages, plus interest. Cash Money has yet to respond to the suit. We reached out to the label for comment — so far, no word back. (TMZ)
Last year, the singer tried to snatch up the same amount of bucks from G-Unit’s 50 Cent over the unauthorized usage of his hit.
The song in question, “Love Gonna Pack Up And Walk Out,” was allegedly sampled on a 2009 track called “Redrum” and then included on a mixtape called “War Drum” that 50 Cent posted online for free. This appears to be the crux of the rapper’s legal contention: he didn’t make any money out of it. The legal papers reportedly describe this contention as “frivolous and immaterial.” Poindexter is demanding $600,000 in punitive damages, as well as statutory damages of an unexpressed amount. (CNet)
Along with Curtis Jackson, Poindexter has also previously taken aim at G.O.O.D Music’s Kanye West.
Robert Poindexter, singer with the soul band the Persuaders, claims that West used an uncleared sample of the 1972 hit “Trying Girls Out” on his remix of “Girls Girls Girls” featured on the mixtape Freshman Adjustment 2. Poindexter filed the suit in the U.S. District Court in Southern New York on March 27. He is seeking $500,000 in damages. Poindexter argues in the suit that West would have known that the sample wasn’t cleared for the track, since he used a cleared version of the same sample for the version of “Girls Girls Girls” on Jay-Z‘s 2001 albumThe Blueprint. (Rolling Stone)
