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Published 8 January 2021
American singer and songwriter, Tracy Chapman, has won a $450,000 copyright infringement suit against her colleague, Nicki Minaj.
The copyright infringement trial which was over an unauthorised sample of a Tracy Chapman song in a Nicki Minaj track was averted as Minaj agreed to pay Chapman $450,000 to close the case in documents filed on Thursday in United States District Court.
The dispute arose as a result of Minaj interpolating Chapman’s 1988 song, Baby Can I Hold You, into her 2018 song, Sorry. After Chapman denied a request to approve the sample, as she reportedly does with all such requests,
Tracy Chapman wins lawsuit against Nicki Minaj who must pay her $450,000
Nicki Minaj must pay Tracy Chapman $450,000 after sampling her song Baby Can I Hold You in her leaked track Sorry, without Chapman s permission
Updated (Image: Getty)
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Nicki Minaj has agreed to pay $450,000 to Tracy Chapman over a copyright infringement dispute.
The rapper had been set for trial after the singer sued her for using a sample of 1988 song Baby Can I Hold You in her track Sorry, a collaboration with Nas which was never officially released but was played on New York radio station Hot 97. Court documents have now revealed that late last month, an out of court settlement was made instead.
Minaj and her reps had approached Chapman to use a sample for inclusion on the album Queen but their request was rejected. Chapman is reportedly on a “do not sample” list of artists who do not give the rights to use their work.