The Music Industry is Getting Served

It has been a rough month for the music industry as stars are serving and being served over different legal matters.

Kendrick Lamar and Bill Withers

Even if you’re not a fan of rap music, you have probably heard Kendrick Lamar’s name tossed around recently. At only 28 years old he has already collaborated with rap legends like Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes, and he now works with his label Top Dawg Music (TDM).

His music has experienced some controversy recently as Lamar and his label are both being sued over the use of a Bill Withers sample in his 2013 song “I Do This.” Bill Withers, who is best known for his hits like “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Just the Two of Us,” is now 77 years old but still active in the music industry. Mattie Music Group owns the rights to Withers’ record with the sample in question.

So what are the grounds for the lawsuit? Mattie Music Group is accusing Lamar and TBM of copyright infringement. But this isn’t Lamar’s first brush with being served papers. He was also served last July for using a freelance photographer’s photo without permission in his digital artwork.

Jay Z and Former Tidal Owners

This time it is the musician himself serving legal papers. Tidal is the name of Jay Z’s music streaming service, which has now surpassed three million subscribers since its launch just one year ago. However, despite Tidal’s success, Jay Z is going after the now ex-owners of Tidal’s old parent company, Aspiro AB.

No outcome is set for either of these musical legal situations, so only time will tell.