Tuf America, also stylized Tufamerica, is a subsidiary of New York City label Tuff City Records.
Tuf America argued that on the the Beasties’ landmark ’80s albums License to Ill and Paul’s Boutique, the Beastie Boys wrongfully sampled two Trouble Funk songs whose rights are administered by the label. Tuf America’s Beastie Boys suit also named Universal Music, Brooklyn Dust Music, and Capitol Records as defendants. West recently won a bizarre lawsuit over his Graduation hit “Stronger.”Īlso Read Compact Discs: Sound of the Future Last year, soul singer Syl Johnson sued West and Jay-Z for failing to give him credit for a sample of his voice on Watch the Throne track “The Joy.” Numero Group, the reissue label, which SPIN contributor David Peisner recently profiled, had said in a since-deleted blog post that Johnson was “nearly in tears” over the sample. West has been targeted with copyright-infringement lawsuits before. Tuf America’s copyright infringement suit calls for undisclosed damages. Billboard reports that the “Lost in the World” video and West’s “Runway” short film also incorporated the sample. The problem, according to Tuf America, is that the labels “failed and refused to enter into written license agreements that accounted for their multiple other uses of” the vintage Bo track. In the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Tuf America reportedly claims it received a license fee of $62,500 from Universal Music Group and its Roc-A-Fella imprint. According to Billboard, West samples the song on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy‘s “Who Will Survive in America?” and “Lost in the World.” (Gil Scott-Heron is prominently featured on the former song, and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon guests on the latter.) Now, Bo died in 2009, but Tuf America reportedly bought the rights to the song more than 15 years ago.
Legalities aside, West is in pretty good company here: Tuf America sued the Beastie Boys for similar reasons on May 3, a day before Beasties member Adam “MCA” Yauch died from cancer.Īt issue is “Hook and Sling, Part 1,” a 1969 R&B hit by New Orleans singer and pianist Eddie Bo. According to Billboard, record label Tuf America has sued the rapper claiming two tracks on 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy illegally contain part of a song to which it owns the rights.
As sampling-related lawsuits go, Kanye West might have reason to be proud of the latest to be filed against him.
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