Business
Page: 30
The sweeping electoral victory of Donald Trump will change the U.S. government, and the country itself, in ways that no one can yet predict. So far, though, it appears that the music industry will not be affected as dramatically as other businesses.
âI donât think there will be that much of a change,â said a senior executive at one of the major labels. Partly thatâs because music, and copyright, are no longer the hot-button issues they were a decade ago. And partly thatâs because, at a time of increased partisan rancor, copyright is one of a few genuinely bipartisan issues, according to a half-dozen executives. Because it brings together Democrats who tend to look favorably on the media business and Republicans who believe in strong property rights, passing legislation often depends more on building a coalition of legislators from both parties. Â
There are no music companies in Trumpâs crosshairs, at least from his own public comments, and he tends to look favorably on entertainers, even when they tend not to return that respect. Indeed, right-wing Republicans have been far more critical of media companies and online platforms than of major labels and movie studios. Â
The most immediate music business issue before the government is the Department of Justice antitrust case against Live Nation Entertainment, which seeks to break up the company. Trump will appoint a new attorney general to replace Merrick Garland, and that appointee will almost certainly replace Jonathan Kanter, who runs the antitrust division. The future of the case will depend on Kanterâs replacement, and several music executives and antitrust experts said that itâs hard to predict how that person will proceed.
âWe congratulate President-elect Trump on his election,â said a spokesperson for Live Nation Entertainment. âLive Nation is proud to help bring joy to fans through concerts, sports and other live events. We look forward to working with the incoming administration to continue driving the positive impacts our industry has on American jobs and local economies.â
Several executives without direct knowledge of the matter speculated that, for optics reasons, the DOJ would be less likely to drop the case than to pursue a low-stakes settlement, but all of them made clear that there was no way to know. Â
Right now, the big issue in the music business is artificial intelligence, and the industry has been lobbying for the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act, which would protect the voices and likenesses of human creators. The bill was introduced in the Senate in July and the House of Representatives in September. It has sponsors on both sides of the aisle, including Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). (One might presume they do not agree on much else.) The industry is going to push to pass it in the âlame-duckâ Congress, before the end of the year, but it will conflict with other priorities, and several executives said that would be a long shot. Otherwise, it will be re-introduced next year, and the changes in government are not expected to affect its chances much.
Some of the policies Trump has said he will pursue, such as tariffs for imports, could be bad for U.S. business on a broader level. This could make physical goods more expensive, especially merchandise, such as T-shirts. It could also make CDs and vinyl more expensive, although only by so much, since they could also be manufactured in the U.S.
It is also possible that changes to the tax system could affect catalog sales, as well as the desirability of songs and recordings as an investment. But it is unclear how much taxes will change â and other economic factors, such as interest rates, are likely to affect investment calculations more.
After 18 years on Canadian airwaves, MTV Canada is preparing to go off the air on Dec. 31. The decision to shutter the specialty channel was confirmed by Bell Media, with a company spokesperson citing âchanging audiencesâ on specialty TV as the reason for the closure.
MTV Canada launched in 2006 as part of the CTV network, and the channel offered viewers a Canadianized version of the MTV brand, one that has had a huge international impact. MTV Canadaâs programming provided a mix of reality TV, music content, talk, lifestyle and pop culture-oriented documentary programming.
Many of the channelâs most popular shows were talk and reality-based, airing The Hills and Teen Mom. MTV Live, launched in March 2006, launched the career of co-host Dan Levy. The flagship half-hour variety show ran for six seasons, and won a Gemini award for Best Talk Series.
Trending on Billboard
Now best known as the co-creator and co-star of hit Emmy-winning Canadian TV comedy Schittâs Creek, Dan Levy would gain prominence in Canada co-hosting, co-writing and co-producing the MTV Canada ratings hit The Hills: After Show (later just The After Show) with Jessi Cruickshank.
The channel later become increasingly dependent on such American reality shows as Floribama Shore, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation and Caught In The Act: Unfaithful in its programming, and by the end was playing multiple hours per day of the comedy reality clip show Ridiculousness.
South of the border, the MTV brand has also suffered in recent years, with owner Paramount Media Networks, shutting down MTV News and pulling down its websiteâs online archives in May 2023, as part of a massive round of layoffs at Paramount.Â
MTV Canadaâs name and branding was used under a licensing agreement with Paramount Global. Unlike MTV channels in the United States and internationally, the channel was restricted in its ability to carry music programming until 2015, due to conditions in the channelâs license issued by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
Those restrictions meant that, unlike its international counterparts, MTV Canada never employed the âMusic Televisionâ tagline. As a result, in terms of music programming, the channel struggled to compete with the homegrown and much-beloved MuchMusic channel, which is also owned by Bell Media.
Anthem Entertainment & Wax Records Announce New Creative Partnership
Anthem Entertainment and Wax Records are joining forces.
The independent music company and record label have announced a strategic creative partnership, one they state âis designed to revolutionize the artist development process.â
The Anthem-Wax partnership seeks to remove barriers between songwriters, producers and artists, and give them the tools and resources to create together. That includes initiatives like international song camps to connect people across diverse genres, in-house studio spaces and dedicated writing rooms. These resources are designed to facilitate a higher volume of music and effective market readiness.
Anthem Entertainment is a big player in publishing and licensing, with a stable that includes hit songwriters like Chantal Kreviazuk and Timbaland. The company has a massive catalog of songs, an infrastructure featuring robust creative and executive teams, and creative spaces in Toronto and Nashville. Anthem recently sold its Production Music Group to Slipstream, a deal that included noted production music agency Jingle Punks and added over 650,000 tracks to Slipstreamâs catalog.
Since starting in 2009, Wax Records has built a roster headed by platinum-selling artists Alyssa Reid, Shawn Desman and Virginia to Vegas along with bĂŒlow, Conor Gains, Blitz//Berlin and more.
The partnership expands the scope of both companies.
âIâm thrilled to welcome the Wax team â and their exceptional roster of artists â into the Anthem family,â says Anthem CEO Jason Klein. âJamie [Appleby, Wax Records President and Head of A&R] and Ron [Morse, Wax Records CEO] have built an extraordinary label, with a creative and agile approach to artist discovery, development, and marketing that transcends conventional limitations. This partnership will allow Wax to elevate their outstanding work with additional resources and infrastructure, and introduce an exciting new creative pipeline for Anthemâs songwriters.
âThe possibilities for global success with this partnership are limitless.â
Anthem and Wax tout the partnership as âan evolution of the music businessâ and a key to artist empowerment as well as a key to opening doors internationally.
âThe global music marketplace is an ever-changing adventure,â says Waxâs Jamie Appleby. âThrough countless hours of dedication and hard work, we strive to cultivate a vibrant entrepreneurial culture that supports and provides globalization opportunities for our community. We are excited for the next evolution of Wax Records, and have tremendous admiration for Jason and the exceptional team at Anthem. This new venture will expand our ongoing commitment to our incredible artists, venture partners, and sub label groups.â
Billionaire hedge funder and Universal Music Group board member Bill Ackman called for UMG to move its stock listing and legal headquarters to the United States from Amsterdam after violent attacks on Israeli soccer fans overnight in the Dutch capital. Amsterdamâs Mayor Femke Halsema said fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv were attacked and âpelted with […]
Before hitting the stage to receive the Sir George Martin Award at MBWâs Music Business UK Awards in London on Tuesday night (Nov. 5), outgoing Warner Music Group CEO of recorded music Max Lousada was introduced by someone who truly needs no introduction: longtime Atlantic Records superstar Ed Sheeran, who characterized Lousada as part of […]
Congrats! You have elected to check out the latest edition of Executive Turntable, Billboardâs comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings â and all things in between â across music.
Read on for mostly good news and donât forget to nominate an impactful executive for our Power 100 Playersâ Choice Award, plus peep our weekly interview series spotlighting a single c-suiter and our helpful calendar of notable industry events and confabs.
Lekeisha Irion is the new head of A&R at Warner Chappell Music Benelux â a nifty portmanteau for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Based in Amsterdam, Irion will report to Niels Walboomers, president of records and publishing in the three-nation region. Since joining as A&R Manager last year following a stint as an office manager for Sony Music Publishing, Irion has influenced Dutch pop and hip-hop, working with artists like Roxy Dekker, who has slapped four No. 1s in the Netherlands this year, Dutch singer-rapper Antoon. Known for her collaborative work with Warner Music Beneluxâs recorded music team, Irion has helped secure both publishing and recording deals for several artists. Walboomers and Shani Gonzales, WCMâs Head of International A&R, praised Irionâs early success and strong instincts for new talent. âShe understands how genres and scenes are evolving in different markets and spots the opportunities for her writers to jump into collabs,â Gonzales said.
Trending on Billboard
Sony Music Publishing elevated Racheal Conte to vice president of sample clearance, legal and business affairs. In her new role, Conte will lead the U.S. sample clearance team, modernize operations and develop strategies to expand sampling opportunities for SMPâs songwriters and catalog. Sheâll also collaborate with global offices to streamline sample clearances for U.S.-based works, reporting directly to Peter Brodsky, evp of business and legal affairs and general counsel, from New York. Conte joined SMP in 2006 and has held various roles, most recently assistant director of sample clearance. âRachealâs contributions have been key to the success of SMPâs songwriters and catalogs, and it has been rewarding to see her growth as a leader throughout her time at the company,â said Brodsky.
RADIO, RADIO: iHeartMedia laid off dozens â hundreds, according to reports â of staffers from radio stations around the country. Among the impacted in the sweeping cuts are regional presidents Matt Scarano (Chicago), Clyde Bass (Texas/Arkansas), Alan Chartrand (Boston) and Michael Burger (Raleigh), among others ⊠Back at the home office, iHeart elevated Jordan Fasbender from general counsel to chief legal officer, with the former 21st Century Fox exec retaining her other titles of evp and corporate secretary ⊠Audacy hired senior vp of research and insights Ray Borelli, who arrives after working as Warner Bros. Discovery vp of ad sales research.
Emily Crews, former vp of brands and synchronisation at Warner Music Australia, joined Level Two Music as head of partnerships. She brings extensive experience in synch licensing and artist-brand collaborations from her time at Warner and, prior to that, Universal Music. The Sydneysider said sheâs excited about Level Twoâs dynamic and thoughtful approach to music supervision, while managing director Jen Taunton praised Crewsâ ability to ânavigate through often complex and layered deals, always managing to find the âsweet spot.’â
Nashville-based Reliant Talent Agency has announced a round of promotions and hires, with former Paradigm music executive Keith Richards joining RTAâs festival department. Reliant has also promoted Ron Kaplan and Garry Buck to executive vp roles, while Kailey Edgerton, Cole Speed and Robert Baugh have been promoted from coordinators to agents. Additionally, the agency has relocated its headquarters to a new office space at 1610 West End Ave. in Nashville. âJessica Nicholson
NASHVILLE NOTES: Kelli Wasilauski resigned as The Oriel Co. director of Nashville operations, ending her year-long tenure on Oct. 28 ⊠Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem expanded with three new attorneys. J. Rush Hicks joins as Of Counsel, adding decades of experience and previous leadership at Belmontâs Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business. New associates Cheshire Rigler and Alyssa Johnson also bring experience from other Nashville entertainment law firms.
Los Angeles marketing agency Game Over Media named Gavrielle Chavez as chief operating officer. Chavez will oversee operations across Game Over Studios, Game Over Agency, Game Over Records, and the new GameTune platform. Her role emphasizes expanding reach within next-gen communities and enhancing fan engagement at the company, where recent projects include campaigns for Big Sean, Childish Gambino, Imagine Dragons and Tyla. Chavez previously worked at Scopely, where she led product marketing for the popular game Monopoly Go!, and before that was a creator strategic at TikTok, where she launched TikTok Shop and fostered partnerships between gaming brands and creators. Founder Anthony Pisano said Chavezâs experience at Scopely and TikTok align with Game Over Mediaâs vision, adding âGaviâs expertise will also be invaluable as we scale GameTune, our new cutting-edge AI platform that empowers record labels, brands, and gaming publishers to reach their audiences through strategic, data-driven marketing.â
Kuke Music Holding Limited, a NYSE-listed classical music service based in China, announced that its president, Li Sun, resigned in July. The company, which provides classical content to educational resources and boasts a library of about 3 million audio and video tracks, clarified that Sunâs departure was amicable, with no disputes over operational or policy issues. Following her resignation, CEO and chairman He Yu has overseen the company.
ICYMI:
Azu Olvera
Deezer appointed Pedro Kurtz as director of operations for the Americas ⊠Former SiriusXM exec Azucena âAzuâ Olvera is now general manager of WK Records ⊠Alana Dolgin joined Atlantic Music Group as the labelâs first president of digital marketing ⊠Spinninâ Records president Roger de Graaf is retiring from the Dutch label he co-founded ⊠and Cara Hutchison was named head of The Lede Companyâs new music division, while Jess Anderson also joins her team. [KEEP READING]
Last Weekâs Turntable: UMGâs Nigerian Label Picks a President
Sony Music revenue grew 10% year-on-year to 448.2 billion yen ($2.9 billion) last quarter, as hit records by SZA, David Gilmour and Travis Scott, coupled with higher sales from live shows and merchandise, helped boost growth in both recorded music and music publishing.
For its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, Sony Music â comprising Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment Japan and Sony Music Publishing â reported quarterly operating income of 90 billion yen ($589 million), a 12% rise on the same period a year ago.
Adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) climbed 15% year-on-year, totaling just under 112 billion yen ($733 million), Sony Musicâs parent company, Sony Group Corp., reported Friday (Nov. 8).
Trending on Billboard
The company said growth in revenue from streaming subscriptions, live events and merchandise from recorded music, as well as the impact of foreign exchange rates were among the key drivers of its positive quarterly financial results. They bring Sony Musicâs half-year earnings up to 890.2 billion yen ($5.8 billion), up 16% year-on-year, with a half-year operating income of 176 billion yen ($1.1 billion).Â
Breaking down Sony Musicâs quarterly earnings, recorded music revenue increased 14% year-on-year to 290 billion yen ($1.9 billion), with subscription and ad-supported streaming up 9% to 189 billion yen ($1.2 billion), accounting for around 65% of the firmâs recorded music earnings.
Physical revenue jumped 22% year-on-year to 25 billion yen ($164 million), while Sonyâs âotherâ category â which includes revenue from merchandise, live performances and licensing revenue from synch, public performance and broadcast â was up 33% to 68 billion yen ($446 million).
SZAâs blockbuster album SOS, which has broken numerous chart records since it was first released in December 2022, including overtaking Aretha Franklinâs Aretha Now as the longest-running chart topper of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums tally, was Sony Musicâs top seller of the quarter.
In second place was Gilmourâs first studio album in nine years, Luck and Strange, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 earlier this year. Other top sellers for Sony Music in the three month period included Scottâs UTOPIA, Future & Metro Boominâs WE DONâT TRUST YOU, BeyoncĂ©âs COWBOY CARTER, Harry Stylesâ Harryâs House and Luke Combsâ This Oneâs for You. The one title in the top 10 from outside this decade was Michael Jacksonâs Thriller, the 1982 classic co-produced by Quincy Jones, who passed away on Sunday (Nov. 3).Â
On the music publishing side, Sony Music reported revenue of 92 billion yen ($604 million), up 11% year-on-year. The company said the strong performance of its publishing arm was led by strong gains in streaming income, which rose 9% to just under 53 billion yen ($347 million). Publishingâs âotherâ category grew by around 13% year-on-year to 38.6 billion yen ($253 million). The company disclosed that as of March 31, its publishing division either owned or administered approximately 6.24 million songs.
Visual media and platform sales, which includes revenue from animation titles, game applications and service offerings for music and visual products, fell slightly to 62 billion yen ($407 million), down 1% on the same period last year. Â
Sony Music said its forecast for full-year revenue was unchanged from the previous quarter with projected sales of 1.74 trillion yen (approximately $11.4 billion) and projected operating income of 330 billion yen ($2.2 billion).
Sony Musicâs fiscal second quarter highlights:
âȘRevenue of 448 billion yen ($2.9 billion), up 10% year-on-yearâȘAdjusted operating income of 112 billion yen ($733 million), up 15%âȘRecorded music revenue increased 14% year-on-year to 290 billion yen ($1.9 billion)âȘMusic publishing revenue of 92 billion yen ($604 million), up 11%âȘVisual media and platform revenue of 62 billion yen ($407 million), down 1%
The Country Radio Broadcasters/Country Radio Seminar board of directors has made two significant updates to the eligibility and selection criteria for its annual New Faces of Country Music Show.
Billboardâs Hot Country Songs chart has been introduced as a qualifying measure for New Faces eligibility, joining the existing Mediabase Country Chart published in Country Aircheck. The expanded chart criterion incorporates digital sales and streaming data alongside terrestrial radio airplay to offer a more comprehensive view of music performance metrics.
RJ Curtis, executive director at Country Radio Broadcasters, said in a statement: âThe revised New Faces Show chart criteria more broadly reflects how our music is being exposed and consumed in 2024, and how its performance is measured. While radio airplay continues to be the critically important calculation for artist success, digital sales and streaming data are also important, accurate factors in identifying the rising New Faces and voices in country music.â
Trending on Billboard
The second update places the responsibility of determining artist eligibility and management of the submission process on record labels and artist representatives. Representatives will now confirm that artists meet the minimum criteria, submit their names for ballot inclusion, and verify artist availability and willingness to perform if selected.
This shift is also aimed at increasing the level of industry involvement and accountability, ensuring artists chosen reflect the current and future landscape of country music. The new criteria are in effect for the Nov. 1, 2024, to Oct. 27, 2025, qualification period, which will impact the New Faces of Country Music Show lineup for the Country Radio Seminar 2026.
Artists must have at least one but no more than five top 25 singles on Country Aircheckâs Mediabase Country Chart or Billboardâs Hot Country Songs chart during the qualification period. Voter eligibility requirements state that âvoters must be full-time employees in programming, promotion, or distribution of country music, excluding those with vested interests in individual artists.â
The ballot will include all qualifying artists submitted by their representatives, with artists listed in alphabetical order. Ballots will be reported to and approved by the Country Radio Broadcasters executive committee before final selections are made.
The 2024 New Faces of Country Music Show, held during Marchâs Country Radio Seminar, featured artists Megan Moroney, George Birge, Dillon Carmichael, Corey Kent and Conner Smith. Since its inception in 1970, the show has put some of country musicâs brightest new talents in the spotlight, including Tim McGraw, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert and Jelly Roll.
TikTok took another step to integrate itself deeper into the music streaming ecosystem on Thursday (Nov. 7), as Spotify and Apple Music users gained the ability to easily share songs on the short-form video app â posting them to their For You Page, for example, or sharing them via DM.
When TikTokâs popularity exploded in 2019 and 2020, it seemed like a competitor to many of the older streaming services. Suddenly users didnât want to leave the addictive short-form video app to listen to songs elsewhere. TikTok proved to be especially effective at driving music discovery for younger listeners.
So it wasnât surprising that, when Spotify celebrated new features at its Stream On event in 2023, executives poked at TikTok â âThereâs a disconnect between where music is being teased and where music is actually being streamed,â for example â without naming it. In recent months, however, two platforms that once looked like rivals appear increasingly interested in collaboration.Â
Trending on Billboard
In November 2023, TikTok unveiled the âAdd to Music Appâ to serve as âa direct link between discovery on TikTok and consumption on a music streaming service, making it easier than ever for music fans to enjoy the full lengthy song on the music streaming service of their choice,â as Ole Obermann, TikTokâs global head of music business development, said in a statement at the time. In addition, TikTok shuttered its own streaming service, TikTok Music, in September.
At the same time, Spotify has said it is newly focused on finding ways for users to share the music they love. For a long time, âsharing was generally seen as an afterthought to the core features on the Spotify platform,â Priscilla Chan, associate director on the business development team, explained in a blog post in September.Â
âNow, these partnerships and features are vitally important drivers of the viral loop of growth for Spotify,â she continued. Itâs all part of the platformâs goal of âbeing everywhere where our existing and potential users areâ to âextend our global reach.â
As iHeartMedia  deals with weak advertising trends and another round of layoffs, the countryâs largest broadcast radio company will save $200 million in 2025 compared with 2024 and has renegotiated 80% of its long-term debt, the company revealed on Thursday (Nov. 7) in its third-quarter earnings release. Â
The debt âexchange offers,â which are expected to close by the end of the year, will extend the majority of iHeartMediaâs debt maturities by three years, allow cash interest expense to âremain essentially flat,â and provide for âsome overall debt reduction,â CEO Bob Pittman said during an earnings call. âThe transaction support agreement marks an important step in our effort to optimize our balance sheet, and it provides the company with the flexibility to remain focused on iHeartâs transformation.â Â
The disclosure about cost savings and revamped debt comes days after news broke that iHeartMedia had laid off dozens â hundreds, according to one report â of staffers from radio stations around the country. Pittman called the layoffs part of iHeartMediaâs âmodernization journeyâ that will create a flatter organization, eliminate redundancies and make it easier to do business with the company. Those cuts add to three rounds of layoffs in 2020 as the radio business struggled with an advertising slump during the first year of the pandemic. Â
Trending on Billboard
Throughout the earnings call, Pittman and CFO/COO Rich Bressler underscored the companyâs embrace of technology to make improvements and cut costs. âTechnology is the key to increasing our operating leverage and is a constant focus for us,â said Pittman. âIt allows us to speed up processes, streamline legacy systems and it enables our folks to create more, better and faster.â Technology alone will reduce annual expenses by $150 million in 2025, he said, while measures taken earlier this year will bring the total annual savings to $200 million.
In explaining how iHeartMedia uses technology to save such a large sum of money, Pittman gave the example of expanding the reach of on-air talent. âWhat weâre able to do now, because weâve got technology, is we can take talent we have in any location and put them on the air in another location,â he explained. âSo it allows us to substantially upgrade the quality of our talent in every single market weâre in and allows us to project talent into the situations in which youâre going to have the best impact.âÂ
As for the financial performance, iHeartMediaâs third-quarter revenue increased 5.8% to $1.01 billion, meeting the companyâs prior guidance of mid-single-digit growth. Excluding political revenue, revenue was up 2.0%. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), a common measure of operating profitability, was flat at $204 million and fell on the low end of the guidance range of $200 million to $220 million. Â
At iHeartMediaâs multi-platform group, which includes broadcast stations and radio networks, revenue fell 1.1% to $619.5 million and adjusted EBITDA dipped 20.1% to $129.9 million. Broadcast revenue dropped 1.4% due to lower spot revenue but was helped by an increase in political advertising. Â
The digital audio group, which includes podcasts and iHeartMediaâs digital service, saw its revenue jump 12.7% to $301 million and its adjusted EBITDA improve 6.8% to $100 million. Podcast revenue grew 11.1% to $114 million. Audio and media services revenue rose 45.3% to $90 million due to the political advertising spending for the recent national and local elections.
iHeartMediaâs Q3 2024 financial metrics:Â
Revenue: up 5.8% to $1.01 billionÂ
Adjusted EBITDA: flat at $204 millionÂ
Net loss: up 360% to $41.3 millionÂ
Free cash flow: up 8.4% to $73.3 millionÂ
Rapper Plies is suing Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Cardi B and Souja Boy for copyright infringement over allegations that the 2024 song âWanna Beâ features an uncleared sample from his 2008 track âMe & My Goons.â
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court, says the Megan and GloRilla stole Pliesâ material indirectly â that they used a legally-licensed sample of a Soulja Boy song that itself illegally borrowed from âGoons.â
âDefendant Soulja Boy authorized Megan thee Stallion and GloRilla to sample [his song,]â lawyers for Plies write. â[Wanna Be] incorporates substantial elements of the copyrighted material underlying âMe & My Goons,â without authorization from plaintiffs.â
Trending on Billboard
âWanna Be,â released by Megan and GloRilla in early April, debuted at No. 11 on the Hot 100. A remix, featuring Cardi, was released in late May. The song features a prominent sample of Soulja Boyâs 2010 track âPretty Boy Swag,â which spent 16 weeks on the chart that summer.
Plies (Algernod Washington), best known for his 2007 singles âShawtyâ and âHypnotized,â names all four stars (Megan Pete, Gloria Woods, Belcalis Almanzar and Deandre Way) as defendants in the lawsuit, as well as various companies and labels allegedly involved in the song.
Reps for the defendants did not immediately return requests for comment.
Lawsuits like the one Plies filed Wednesday â claiming that a legal sample featured an unlicensed sample â sound strange but arenât uncommon. In the modern music industry, all samples in major releases are strictly cleared, and even borderline interpolations are often licensed to avoid any risk of litigation. But copyrighted material featured within the sampled songs can be trickier to identify.
Last month, a lawsuit filed by Barry Whiteâs estate claimed that Future and Metro Boominâs âLike Thatâ sampled from a 1980s hip-hop song that had ripped off Whiteâs music. And in May, a little known New Orleans group sued BeyoncĂ© for the same thing over a sample of Big Freedia featured in âBreak My Soul,â though they dropped the case several months later. Whiteâs case remains pending; the case against BeyoncĂ© was quickly dropped.
Read the entire lawsuit here: