Jay-Z and Kanye West only released their new collaborative album Watch The Throne in August and now they are being sued.
The rappers sampled soul singer Syl Johnson’s Different Strokes on The Joy but now Johnson’s publishing company claims they used the track without their permission and they did not pay for the rights. Now The Numero Group (Johnson’s publisher) is taking Kayne and Jay Z to court, and according to a blogpost on their website they are no strangers in pursuing legal action with this type of theft.
Now Johnson is taking the hip-hop heavyweights to court, filing a lawsuit in Illinois over the sample.
Apparently, The Numero Group had agreed that Kayne could use the sample for a bonus track on his last studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy once they had agreed on a fee. However, no money was ever paid and The Numero Group had no idea he still planned on using the track until they noticed the sample on Watch The Throne.
