Singer Robert Poindexter (of the soul band the Persuaders) filed a lawsuit against the rapper (real name: Curtis Jackson) recently, for allegedly sampling a snippet of The Persuaders’ song “Love Gonna Pac Up and Walk Out” for the mixtape cut, “Redrum (Murder).”
The song appeared on 50′s 2009 mixtape, War Angel LP, which he posted for free online.
Because Fif didn’t commercially release the song, Poindexter claims the hip-hop mogul believes he has immunity from any copyright claims. The singer doesn’t agree, so he has filed suit in hopes of landing compensation for the use of his work.
“Fifty Cents [sic] has not denied the infringement, but appears to be basing his defense solely on a frivolous and immaterial claim that the illegal version is not being commercially exploited, but is given away for free,” Poindexter says in court papers.
For the unauthorized sample, Poindexter is seeking unspecified statutory damages and an additional $600,000 in punitive damages, plus interest.
50 has yet to comment on the situation.
The suit is just the latest Poindexter has filed against rap stars who have sampled his band’s music, and released them through mixtapes. Earlier this month, he filed a lawsuit against Kanye West, over an uncleared sample of the Persuaders’ 1972 hit “Trying Girls Out” for the remix of “Girls Girls Girls”, which appeared on Ye’s 2006 mixtape, Freshman Adjustment 2.
According to Poindexter, Kanye has refused to settle the matter out of court. The suit’s status was unknown at press time.
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