Eric Reed and Willie Jones III claim Lamar's 2011 song uses unattributed music from their 2010 song, "The Thorn"
By Molly Beauchemin on September 3, 2014 at 8:23 a.m. EDT
Two musicians, Eric Reed and Willie Jones III, are suing Kendrick Lamar for allegedly stealing their music for use in Lamar's 2011 song "Rigamortis", TMZ reports.
According to the report, Reed and Jones composed a song called "The Thorn" in 2010 that they claim was later sampled as the background music in "Rigamortis", a standout hit from Lamar's 2011 album Section.80. According to their lawsuit, Lamar took their music and simply added lyrics, with the plaintiffs claiming that "'The Thorn' isn't merely part of "Rigamortis" ... IT IS 'Rigamortis.'"
Reed and Jones were not credited on the song, and are suing for at least $1 million. They are also seeking all "Rigamortis" profits and rights to the song.
Listen to "The Thorn" and then "Rigamortis" below.
11. "oh. i don't take much stock in the word 'hit'" In response to Reply # 3 Wed Sep-03-14 12:22 PM by SHAstayhighalways
i remember back when i used to buy cds a lot of times songs that weren't even out yet would be touted on the cover of the cd (usually on a sticker) as a SMASH HIT so that shit didn't even register to me i took it as 'one of the singles' lol
you probably guessed by now but this is mwasi kitoko. retiring that screen name.
6. "RE: Eric's my Godbrother, and Willie B is the homie. Eh. " In response to Reply # 4
You know Top aint clear no samples on that.. lol
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
12. "RE: who is it up to?" In response to Reply # 10
Well.. its a team effort
tbh most cats (including myself) and smaller labels... risk not clearing anything because they know they are only gonna sell under like 25k-30k albums.
That used to be the logic because you felt you weren't making enough bread to afford it...
But Sec.80 (The secret interscope album) definitely sold well and they probably should've cleared what they could especially since so many of the samples were recent songs..
Maybe they thought contemporaries wouldn't sue because they knew what the grind was.. ionno
The easiest way around this woulda been to reach out to the cats early get their blessing and/or feature them on the track..
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
19. "RE: Were there any specific folks who usually did the signing off" In response to Reply # 16
Whomever owns the master can sign off...
so a lot of times the artist themselves cant "clear" it..
But its not hard to clear a sample.. there are services dedicated to specifically doing that..
It's on EVERYONE in my opinion to make sure shit is cleared.. samples, guest appearances, beats etc...
the artist can say.. oh I aint know if you read credits and nothing it cleared or you know that your split is 100% of something when ti should be less
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
-DJ R-Tistic- Member since Nov 06th 2008 51986 posts
Wed Sep-03-14 02:57 PM
14. "Nah, I'm saying it's a team who should handle that." In response to Reply # 10
Whether it's label heads, the Exec Producer, or even a team dedicated to the administrative side of putting music out. Not sure if an A&R would be involved in that, but the producer/artist wouldn't likely have the access to getting samples cleared.
20. "RE: A&R should be involved in that" In response to Reply # 18 Wed Sep-03-14 04:13 PM by double 0
lol...
The timeline on when he signed is debatable I guess.. I say it as a joke but sec.80 def didn't drop ON interscope.. now whether they helped promote it is something different.
Same thing with lana del rey.. she was already signed when Blue Jeans and Video Games dropped but she didnt "sign" in the public until a month later..
All it means is there are some label services available to maximize exposure.. its not like the work is any different
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
43. "I'm pretty sure that his album getting released.." In response to Reply # 37
Was somewhat hinged on Kendrick's performance. Although they both may have got scooped around a similar time.
Come to grips with the fact that most OKP's are of the Nut Hugger lineage, so, if you' re not part of the little cliques that exist 'round here, your posts will probably tank like Souljaboy's album sales.
21. "RE: Nah, I'm saying it's a team who should handle that." In response to Reply # 14
Producers can definitely do it and if most are smart will do it.. otherwise they are the first ones to get raped on publishing %'s
but yea there should be an administrative/legal arm to handle it.. thats kinda what they are supposed to do cross 't's and dot 'i's
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
44. "Jake One actually recommended this in an issue of Scratch..." In response to Reply # 21
>Producers can definitely do it and if most are smart will do >it.. otherwise they are the first ones to get raped on >publishing %'s > >but yea there should be an administrative/legal arm to handle >it.. thats kinda what they are supposed to do cross 't's and >dot 'i's
Way back when. Also, if you do this, you can set up a better deal for yourself on the publishing cut. Once Interscope comes calling, cats will see DOLLAR SIGNS and there probably won't be much room for negotiation.
Come to grips with the fact that most OKP's are of the Nut Hugger lineage, so, if you' re not part of the little cliques that exist 'round here, your posts will probably tank like Souljaboy's album sales.
-DJ R-Tistic- Member since Nov 06th 2008 51986 posts
Thu Sep-04-14 03:34 PM
38. "Hmm nah he definitely uses Rigamortis as his talking point " In response to Reply # 35
Only thing I've heard about the album is that Terrace has brought in a lot of live musicians to play on it, replaying samples and all else. Similar to how Damani did on his album.
-DJ R-Tistic- Member since Nov 06th 2008 51986 posts
Wed Sep-03-14 11:30 AM
8. "Many Jazz musicians see it that way" In response to Reply # 5
Some accept sampling and Hip Hop as art...while some see it as being completely lazy to take a loop and add drums to it. It isn't like Willie flipped it on some Shook ones, where it's where you can barely recognize the sample.
-DJ R-Tistic- Member since Nov 06th 2008 51986 posts
Wed Sep-03-14 02:59 PM
15. "1982, 1994, 2003, and 2014. " In response to Reply # 9
It's way more Jazz musicians today who are into Hip Hop, since most under 40 grew up on it. But many still have the same traditional views...so in this case, I can see them saying "they didn't do anything but steal 5 seconds of our song and loop it!"
22. "i mean, if we're being honest..." In response to Reply # 15
>I can see them >saying "they didn't do anything but steal 5 seconds of our >song and loop it!"
There are no synths, live instruments, or other samples added, the sample isn't chopped/manipulated...it is literally a 1 bar loop over and over with drums added.
(fwiw, i think the track is great, because the beat is just a backdrop for Kendrick, but a perfect one)
>It's way more Jazz musicians today who are into Hip Hop, >since most under 40 grew up on it. But many still have the >same traditional views...so in this case, I can see them >saying "they didn't do anything but steal 5 seconds of our >song and loop it!"
25. "KING, Gil Scott-Heron, Jet Age of Tomorrow and a few others" In response to Reply # 0
were also sampled quite blatantly on Section.80.
TBH, I was always surprised no one ever came after TDE for all the samples used on their pre-Interscope releases, namely Section .80, Control System and Habits & Contradictions.
it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
42. "lol had you not heard the KING song?" In response to Reply # 41
I don't even listen to Kendrick (only listening to Chapter Six to hear the KING sample) but that's not even hidden lol if all the songs are like this this is so blatant
-DJ R-Tistic- Member since Nov 06th 2008 51986 posts
Wed Sep-10-14 06:08 AM
45. "I never heard of KING and first heard the original song a few " In response to Reply # 42
months back...and immediately said "wow, this is where Kendrick got it from?" and then realized the song came out earlier in the same year that Kendrick sampled it. Then I learned they were from L.A., had a three song EP that was a surprise hit, etc etc
46. "RE: I never heard of KING and first heard the original song a few " In response to Reply # 45
A lot of the samples from the TDE stuff I've noticed are fairly recent.. and close enough (like LA artists) that they could've probably cleared 'em easy..
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
I listened to the EP quite a bit, actually. I'm still not used to recent samples, I guess. And, TDE has vocalists on hand, so I thought they built that s*** from scratch. Haha. But yeah, I feel pretty silly in retrospect.
26. "1 million? Dr. Evil jazz cats :\" In response to Reply # 0
Sure, should have cleared it but I hate how arbitrary their dollar amounts tend to be. 1 bar loop, non-single/hit, album cut, pre-major label? __ I don't like the beat anymore because its just a loop. ALC didn't FLIP IT ENOUGH!
Flip it enough? Flip these. Flip off. Go flip some f*cking burgers.(c)Kno
Allied State of the National Electric Beat Treaty Organization (NEBTO)
36. "sigh, it's obvious he/they sampled the damn song" In response to Reply # 33 Thu Sep-04-14 12:14 PM by astralblak
under current laws, that's illegal and he should get paid
do I agree with it? NO. That law for worse more than better, killed a lot of the sound of rap many of us loved
BUT, 1milly isn't arbitrary. Section.80 really rose Kendricks profile as a rapper. They sold damn near 100k of it on iTunes, and got a major label deal off of it as TDE; which allowed GKMC to be made, which went platinum, and more than likely made Kendrick a millionaire. And Rigamortis, outside of ADHD, is the album's most recognizable song
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
The Lesson
