It was only a matter of time before the N.W.A biopic, Straight Outta Compton, employed the “mo money, mo problems” power laws. As it stands, Dr. Dre and Universal Pictures are the target of a new lawsuit where a 70s R&B singer is claiming he never got any royalties from the 1988 sample on the N.W.A cut, “If It Ain’t Ruff.”
In the new federal documents obtained by The Jasmine Brand, Prince Phillip Mitchell says he never granted the studio permission to use his 1978 record, “Star In The Ghetto.” In fact, he’s saying he was never credited as a co-author for the record on the classic album’s original liner notes. Which is true, as it the sample was attributed to the Average White Band cover.
Since Mitchell is alleging that The Good Doctor damaged his reputation, he’s suing for an excess of $6 million. Sounds about right to boost someone’s confidence again, no?
Straight Outta Compton has an all-star lineup of producers in Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Matt Alvarez, Tomica Woods-Wright, Will Packer and its director, F. Gary Gray. It hits theaters on August 14, 2015. The court documentation for the lawsuit can be found here and both records stacked up next to each other can be found on the next page.
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Photo: YouTube
