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Mobb Deep is facing a lawsuit over a recent collaboration with streetwear brand Supreme. Filed by a New York City hardcore punk band Sick of It All, the suit claims that Mobb Deep members Havoc and the late Prodigy stole their dragon-shaped logo.
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In a lawsuit filed Friday, the band accused both Supreme and Mobb Deep of infringing its trademarks with a line of T-shirts launched this summer. The case claims that Mobb Deep’s emblem, featured on the shirts, is “virtually identical” to a logo that Sick of It All has used since 1987.
“This case arises out of defendants’ improper and illegal use of a nearly identical logo mark to plaintiff’s inherently distinctive, incontestable, and famous logo,” wrote lawyers for Bush Baby Zamagate Inc., the company that owns Sick of It All’s intellectual property. “Defendants’ adoption and use of their knockoff logo … is not just reckless and inexplicable — it is willful infringement and unfair competition.”
As defendants, the lawsuit named Chapter 4 Corp., the owner of Supreme; Kejuan Muchita Inc., a corporate entity owned by Havoc; and the estate of Prodigy (Albert Jackson Johnson), who died in 2017.
Back in June, when Supreme launched the Mobb Deep shirts, the website Hypebeast tried to explain the origins of the duo’s logo. The “tribal tattoo-style dragon,” the site claimed, had been “borrowed” from Sick of It All — “who, like Mobb Deep, is from Queens, New York.”
Turns out, Sick of It All doesn’t see the story quite the same way.
In Friday’s lawsuit, their lawyers say that, over the course of three decades, they have repeatedly demanded that Mobb Deep stop using the dragon design, first in 1997 and again in 2003. The new complaint included a copy of a cease-and-desist that the band sent in 2003, after a version of the dragon logo was used in an insert included in Mobb Deep’s Free Agents: The Murda Mixtape.
“This is not the first time that plaintiff has objected to Mobb Deep’s use of a logo substantially identical to plaintiff’s mark,” the new complaint reads. “Immediately prior to the institution of this lawsuit, plaintiff demanded that defendants cease use of their infringing logo and provide an accounting to plaintiff of sales of the infringing goods. Defendants refused to comply with those demands.”
In 2011, Mobb Deep spoke about the logo in an interview with clothing brand Mishka NYC. In it, Prodigy explained he basically picked the image off of a tattoo parlor wall when he was a teenager and got it inked to his hand.
“Basically, when I was 14 or 15, there was this tattoo parlor in Elmart off Hemstead turnpike and I had walked in there to get my first tattoo,” he said. “There was this dragon on the wall and I didn’t know what it was, I just thought it looked ill, I was mad young and I had always wanted something on my hand. I prolly seen it on some of those L.A. gang movies like Colors. I thought’d be cool, it’d look like some tough shit. So I told the dude put that on my hand. When me and Hav started Mobb Deep, we turned it into the lil clique thing.”
Prodigy went on to say, “We wanted to turn it into the logo for Mobb Deep, but, then we got a cease and desist letter in the mail…. That was just some random sh–! We didn’t even know, we was just young kids.”
Representatives for Supreme and Mobb Deep did not immediately return requests for comment.
Read the entire complaint here:
Drake has yet another massive week on Billboard’s charts (dated Oct. 21), as all 23 songs from his new studio album For All the Dogs land in the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100, led by “First Person Shooter” featuring J. Cole new at No. 1.
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The album debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 402,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week, according to Luminate. That’s the fourth-biggest week of the year, after the first frames of Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (716,000 units), Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at at Time (501,000) and Travis Scott’s Utopia (496,000).
For All the Dogs tallied 514 million on-demand official streams for its tracks in its opening week, the fourth-highest single-week sum ever for an album. The biggest streaming weeks were achieved by the first weeks of Drake’s Scorpion (745.9 million, 2018) and Certified Lover Boy (743.7 million, 2021) and Swift’s Midnights (549.3 million, 2022).
All 23 songs from the new album land on the latest Hot 100. Of those, 22 debut, while “Slime You Out” featuring SZA ranks at No. 6 after debuting at No. 1 three weeks ago.
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“First Person Shooter” featuring J. Cole debuts as Drake’s 13th Hot 100 leader, and Cole’s first. Now with 13 No. 1s, Drake ties Michael Jackson for the most among solo males.
Here’s a recap of every Drake song on the latest Hot 100, all of which are debuts except where noted. He charts 24 songs overall, including one in a featured role.
Rank, Artist Billing, Title:
No. 1, Drake feat. J. Cole, “First Person Shooter”
No. 2, Drake feat. Yeat, “IDGAF”
No. 3, Drake, “Virginia Beach”
No. 5, Drake feat. 21 Savage, “Calling for You”
No. 6, Drake feat. SZA, “Slime You Out” (up from No. 18; peaked at No. 1)
No. 8, Drake, “Daylight”
No. 10, Drake, “Fear of Heights”
No. 11, Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA, “Rich Baby Daddy”
No. 12, Drake feat. Bad Bunny, “Gently”
No. 15, Drake feat. Teezo Touchdown, “Amen”
No. 16, Drake, “7969 Santa”
No. 17, Drake, “8am in Charlotte”
No. 18, Drake, “What Would Pluto Do”
No. 20, Drake, “Bahamas Promises”
No. 21, Drake, “Tried Our Best”
No. 24, Drake feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR, “Members Only”
No. 26, Drake feat. Chief Keef, “All the Parties”
No. 27, Drake, “Drew a Picasso”
No. 29, Drake feat. Lil Yachty, “Another Late Night”
No. 32, Drake, “Away From Home”
No. 36, Drake, “BBL Love Interlude”
No. 37, Drake “Polar Opposites”
No. 42, Drake, “Screw the World Interlude”
No. 59, Travis Scott feat. Drake, “Meltdown” (down from No. 40; peaked at No. 3 in August)
This week marks the sixth in which an artist has tallied at least seven songs in the Hot 100’s top 10 simultaneously. Here a look at every occurrence:
Total Songs in the Hot 100’s Top 10, Artist, Chart Date:
10, Taylor Swift, Nov. 5, 2022
9, Drake, Sept. 18, 2021
8, Drake, Nov. 19, 2022
7, Drake, July 14, 2018
7, 21 Savage, Nov. 19, 2022
7, Drake, Oct. 21, 2023
This is also the ninth week in Hot 100 history that an artist has charted at least 24 songs on the chart in a single week. Here’s a look at every such instance.
Total Songs on the Hot 100, Artist, Chart Date:
36, Morgan Wallen, March 18, 2013
28, Morgan Wallen, March 25, 2023
27, Drake, July 14, 2018
26, Taylor Swift, Nov. 27, 2021
25, Lil Baby, Oct. 29, 2022
25, Taylor Swift, July 22, 2023
24, Drake, April 8, 2017
24, Drake, July 21, 2018
24, Drake, Oct. 21, 2023
Drake also extends many of his Hot 100 chart records, including the most top five hits (41), top 10s (76), top 20 entries (132), top 40 hits (199) and overall charted titles (320). He becomes the first artist to tally at least 300 total entries on the Hot 100. The only other acts with at least 200 are Taylor Swift (212) and the Glee Cast (207).
Congratulations are in order for Sexyy Red, who surprised fans on Sunday (Oct. 15) when she revealed on Instagram that she’s pregnant. In a series of photos, the “SkeeYee” rapper poses with SZA, who is seen kneeling next to her and showing Red’s baby bump, which is seen peeking out through a black, deep-V neck […]
Between a rumors of joint album from Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign, several revelations from Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir, and a surprise freestyle from Drake’s son, Adonis, the hip-hop world has been in a tizzy for the past week. In the midst of all of these cultural conversational touchstones, a bevy of hot new music also made its way to streaming platforms on Friday (Oct. 13).
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Naomi Sharon’s smooth ode to unconditional love to Young Thug’s heartfelt response to Mariah the Scientist. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Ken Carson feat. Destroy Lonely, “Paranoid”
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The umpteenth reunion of Playboi Cart’s two biggest signees was bound to produce a banger — and Ken Carson & Destroy Lonely do not disappoint. In a nod to the everlasting cultural impact of Barbie, Ken raps, “I f–k Barbie b–ches, yeah, yeah, all my hoes plastic/ All my hoes know how to act, all my hoes classy,” over a skittering trap beat crafted by F1LTHY, Lukrative & Lucian. Both rappers employ madcap flows that cover hip-hop’s most stories tropes (wealth, women, guns, etc.) with an air of wariness that plays into the concept of paranoia that guides the track.
Westside Gunn & Stove God Cooks, “House of Glory”
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And Then You Pray For Me may stand as Westside Gunn’s final studio effort, but the Griselda God left us with an incredibly consistent project. One of the record’s standouts is a RZA-produced collaboration with Stove God Cooks titled “House of Glory,” which finds the pair trading verses laden with biblical imagery over a soulful, almost drumless beat that pulls from a Tchaikovsky sample. “Seen Chanel five hundred dollar plates, she in the county/ She pulled up on Tiffany, shot out the Audi/ Another palm angel gained new wings/ Valentino down to my shoestrings,” he spits.
Jay Worthy, Kamaiyah & Harry Fraud feat. Ty Dolla $ign, “Pull Up”
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On this cut from Jay Worthy, Kamaiyah & Harry Fraud’s terrific The Am3rican Dream collaborative album, the trio calls upon Ty Dolla $ign to help inject some extra West Coast bounce and flair into the track’s soulful production. It’s a tribute to Black wealth as it relates to the concept of the American Dream through the lens of the contemporary entertainment industry. When Ty and Jay trade the “It go money, hoes, fancy s–t/ Let the ho choose up, don’t ask the b–ch” lines in the hook and pre-chorus, there’s a glint of irony in their delivery that takes the whole thing up several notches.
Naomi Sharon, “Regardless”
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As OVO’s First Lady continues to tease her forthcoming debut album, she delves even deeper into her Sade influences on this new acoustic track. “Regardless,” a straightforward track that finds Naomi yearning for truly unconditional love, balances her smooth, seductive timbre with sparkling, subdued keys for a track that understands the beauty of letting the music breathe.
Veeze, “Amusing”
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Over a subtly menacing K Money-helmed beat, Veeze delivers a verse-long stream-of-consciousness tirade in this new track from the deluxe version of his acclaimed Ganger album. He does a lot of typical street posturing on the track — “Doin’ deals neat, this the corner suite trap spot/ I done grew a lot, servin’ n—as I could slime out/ Do the drill on feet, take that boy ID, face shot/ All my n—as stand over shit, we don’t do drive-bys,” he raps — but it’s his laidback cadence that every so often bubbles over into a new level of assertiveness that makes “Amusing” such a dynamic and intriguing listen.
Hunxho feat. Dej Loaf, “Make Time”
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In this delectable slice of trap&B yearning, rising Atlanta rapper Hunxho and Dej Loaf trade verses about straightening up their ways and doing the work to prove to a potential significant other that they are both ready for a proper relationship. Murky trap drums and slurred flows add to the muddy kaleidoscope of emotions that both artists cycle through in the song. “I wish I could love myself/ Like I love you and nobody else,” Dej croons.
Young Thug, “From a Man”
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Over a surprisingly smooth beat courtesy of Turbo and London On Da Track, among other contributors, Thugger delivers a freestyle-evoking track that details his personal and romantic commitments to R&B singer-songwriter Mariah the Scientist, who released her own “From a Woman” track on Friday (Oct. 13) as well. It’s Young Thug’s first new song (as a lead artist) since he dropped off his Business Is Business album earlier this year. The rap great is still behind bars as he awaits the resolution of his RICO case, but “From a Man” proves that he’s still capable of being as prolific as ever.
Travis Scott was just three dates into his just-launched Utopia — Circus Maximum Tour when he postponed a date on the outing at the last minute. According to the News-Observer, Scott played a sold-out show at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. on Friday night, but when fans arrived at the arena for what was […]
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign are shopping for a partner to distribute their forthcoming collaborative album — and sources tell Billboard they are considering five different offers. West “will make a decision soon,” says one source. And while sources say the album release was originally planned for Friday (Oct. 13), it was pushed back and is expected to land in the coming weeks.
The project has record industry executives weighing the risks and rewards of releasing what some who’ve heard the music say is West’s best music in at least five years, since 2018’s Ye, but at an especially fraught time as the conflict between Israel and Hamas intensifies following the surprise attack on the Supernova Sukkot Gathering music festival on Oct. 7.
Some label leaders have passed on the opportunity to distribute the project given the antisemitic comments West began making almost exactly a year prior, beginning Oct. 8, 2022 — even though the music itself isn’t controversial lyrically, sources say. But there are a multitude of smaller distributors in fierce competition for whom such a release could be game-changing, given the two artists’ streaming histories. One such possible company is Too Lost, the music distribution and publishing company that launched in 2021 and currently represents West’s rights on YouTube. (When reached for comment, Too Lost CEO Gregory Hirschhorn declined to comment.)
The last time West and Ty Dolla $ign released a collaboration was “Junya Pt 2” on Ye’s 2021 album, Donda. Before that, they worked together on Ty Dolla $ign’s “Ego Death” (2020) and on West’s “Everything We Need” (2019), “Real Friends” (2016) and “Only One” (2014).
After releasing 10 albums on Def Jam, Donda was West’s last release with the label. His 2022 album, Donda 2, was exclusively released on the Stem Player, and later that year, following West’s antisemitic comments, a spokesperson for Def Jam parent company Universal Music Group denounced his rhetoric and distanced the company from the artist. “Def Jam’s relationship with Ye as a recording artist, Def Jam’s partnership with the GOOD Music label venture and Ye’s merchandise agreement with Bravado all ended in 2021,” the rep said.
West has not officially released any new music since then, and industry watchers have wondered what kind of route he might take when he decided to make his return. Owning all his copyrights, West also has the option to self-release his music through a do-it-yourself service such as Distrokid or Tunecore for a modest one-time fee, but may favor a boutique distribution service that would pay an advance for the deal, provide a more personalized approach and work directly with streaming services for promotion and editorial placements.
Metro Boomin stopped by Billboard News during his Billboard cover story shoot to talk about working alongside superstars like Future, 21 Savage and more. But the hitmaker encountered a slight hiccup when he was cooking up beats for Pluto, presumably for their highly anticipated joint album. “They was beats I was making for the next […]
The Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos game might’ve brought out Taylor Swift Thursday night (Oct. 12), but Metro Boomin brought out even more stars during his Amazon Music Live show. Billboard‘s current cover star invited Nav, Post Malone and Offset on stage with him during his nearly hour-and-a-half-long set. While his surprise guests ran […]
Megan Thee Stallion is taking her music back into her own hands amid a grueling legal battle with her record label 1501 Certified Entertainment. During an Instagram Live on Thursday (Oct. 12), the rapper revealed that she’s not signed to a label and will be funding her own music projects moving forward, as seen in […]
This year will end as it began, with an all-star Grammy salute to hip-hop. On Sunday, Dec. 10, CBS will air the live, two-hour concert special A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop. An extended “50 Years of 50-Hop” segment was one of the highlights of the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5. That kicked off a year of hip-hop celebrations that has underscored the importance and dominance of the genre.
The lineup includes Black Thought, LL Cool J and Queen Latifah, all of whom were also part of the Grammy telecast salute, as well as Bun B, Common, De La Soul, Jermaine Dupri, J.J. Fad, Talib Kweli, The Lady of Rage, MC Sha-Rock, Monie Love, The Pharcyde, Questlove, Rakim, Remy Ma, Uncle Luke and Yo-Yo. More performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of Two One Five Entertainment and LL Cool J will also serve as executive producers of the special, which tapes Nov. 8 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. The show was originally set to tape on Aug. 11, which was the 50th anniversary (to the day!) of a back-to-school party in The Bronx that many point to as the beginning of hip-hop culture.
A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Collins, Shawn Gee, Dionne Harmon, Claudine Joseph, Fatima Robinson and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay also serve as executive producers. Marcello Gamma serves as director.
Questlove curated the 15-minute spot on the Grammy telecast, which featured three dozen rap acts. Collins, Robinson and Gee (Questlove’s manager and president of LNU) were also among the producers of that segment.
The segment drew universal praise. Billboard’s Joe Lynch pegged it as the best performance on the 2023 Grammys telecast. “While it’s an impossible task to sum up 50 years of any genre (much less one that fought for decades to get a modicum of mainstream respect and eventually became the dominant genre in American music), this electrifying medley brought to vivid life the charged personalities, thumping grooves, deft deliveries and unpredictable flourishes that make hip-hop a global force.”
While many will assume that the success of the spot on the Grammy telecast led CBS to hurry a special into production, the special was in the works before anyone knew there would be a segment on the telecast, according to a source.
Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, hinted at the upcoming special in a statement announcing the telecast segment. “For five decades, Hip Hop has not only been a defining force in music, but a major influence on our culture,” he said. “Its contributions to art, fashion, sport, politics, and society cannot be overstated. I’m so proud that we are honoring it in such a spectacular way on the Grammy stage. It is just the beginning of our year-long celebration of this essential genre of music.”
The Grammys have not always been hip-hop supporters. The awards show didn’t have a dedicated category for rap or hip-hop until the 1988 awards, which were presented Feb. 22, 1989. D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s genial pop hit “Parents Just Don’t Understand” was the first hip-hop recording to win a Grammy (best rap performance). But they weren’t invited to perform on the show that year.
A year later, on Feb. 21, 1990, the duo became the first hip-hop act to perform on the Grammys. “We’d like to dedicate this performance to all the rappers last year that stood with us and helped us to earn the right to be on this stage tonight,” Will Smith said before he and D.J. Jazzy Jeff launched into “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson.”
CBS, which has broadcast the Grammy telecast since 1973, aired another Grammy-branded special – A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys – on April 9. That special was taped on Feb. 8 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop airs Dec. 10 from 8:30-10:30 p.m. ET/8-10 p.m. PT on CBS. It streams on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).