Nicki Minaj agreed to pay Tracy Chapman $ 450,000 over a copyright infringement dispute.
The rapper was tried after the singer sued her for using a sample of the 1988 song Baby Can I Hold You on his track Sorry, a collaboration with Nas that was never officially released but was played on the New York radio station Hot 97 Court documents have now revealed that at the end of last month, an out-of-court settlement was made instead.
Minaj and his representatives approached Chapman to use a sample for inclusion on the Queen album, but his request was rejected. Chapman is reportedly on a “no-sample” list of artists who do not give the rights to use his work.
“I’m divided, you guys help,” Minaj tweeted in 2018. “Tracy Chapman, please, can you hit me. for the love of #Queen. ”In a deleted tweet, she also claimed to have” no clue “that the song was a sample of Chapman. She also openly considered postponing the album to wait for a response.
“I am happy to have this issue resolved and grateful for this legal outcome that states that the rights of artists are protected by law and must be respected by other artists,” said Chapman in a statement. “In this situation, several times, they asked for permission to use my music; in each instance, politely and in a timely manner, I unequivocally said no. Apparently, Mrs. Minaj chose not to listen and use my composition, despite my clear and expressed intentions. “
Minaj has not yet commented.