Comments on: Cypress Hill Slapped With $29 Mil Sample Lawsuit

By: Tavis Forman

Tavis Forman — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:41:20 +0000

Cypress not only sampled the song, they changed the name of the composition and filed a copyright as though they wrote the composition, they didn’t not add anything new, when Sony was approached about the sample, they purchase a license from one of the old white slave masters in the record business who was used to exploiting poor black artist in 60’s, all Cypress needed to was pay not try to take the composition, prior to filing the instant suit Syl attempted to get the Sound Recording. Sony spent $450,000 in legal fees, they could have offer a portion of that to settle the case

By: KGM

KGM — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:00:38 +0000

It’s amusing how in these cases the fans always defend the rapper. Why shouldn’t Sly get paid for his work? The guy writes a tune and someone else takes it, records it and claims it as their own…that’s clearly copyright infringment. How many others have been “sampled” without knowing it? So it’s an old song. Big deal. Copyright is 70 years after death. If you want to call yourself a musician then learn to be one. There’s more to it then listening to a Fleetwood Mac song and rewriting the lyrics. Most of these rap “artists” must have gone to the weird al yankovic school of song writing. My favorite excuse I hear is “we’re paying tribute to the original artist”. Really? With no credit or mention of the person at all? No talent hacks. They belong in the comedy section of the record store.

By: Stones Throw Signs ‘MLC’ in Response to Copyright Claim

Stones Throw Signs ‘MLC’ in Response to Copyright Claim — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:11:26 +0000

[...] specific to the “remix” movement, as the opposite is very improbable. It would be like Cypress Hill getting signed by Syl Johnson’s [...]

By: bruce_d

bruce_d — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:57:36 +0000

rza killed this shit

By: Nate

Nate — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:25:18 +0000

Marcum got it dead on. Syl wasn’t pulling in the cheese the way artists do now so he has to get his. Start high so they can talk you down.

&… it isn’t Muggs job to clear samples. Or Sen’s or B-Real’s. The label is supposed to handle that. Truth is, Muggs et al probably never knew the sample wasn’t cleared.

By: AVENGER XL

AVENGER XL — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:17:17 +0000

This is what he is doing. He is throwing out a ridiculous amount of money to get a settlement out of court or something to that effect. Dude knows cypress hill don’t have 29 million dollars even with their stoner rap legendary status they weren’t doing Nelly, TI, 50 numbers. So he is trying to set a crazy standard to push the issue into money kinda like on the movie Friday, when the dude was like I want 1 million dollars but I will settle out of court for 25 dollars. It is sad that SYL has to resourt to ish like this to get money but in the industry you need to save all the money you can because when it is over it is over.

By: Tokyo Cigar

Tokyo Cigar — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:22:04 +0000

Yo Willie Evans crazy cooking metaphor LMFAO

I was just listenting to Street Level by the Beatnuts and it’s sad that lawsuits like this prevent albums like that from getting made on a more mainstream level today.

By: Willie Evans Jr

Willie Evans Jr — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:37:33 +0000

Chop up your your veggies before you Sautee them plates! You can’t take credit for growin’ that green pepper but the chicken flautas is your creation mayne!

By: jeff

jeff — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:36:37 +0000

at first when i read this, i was like whoa 29 million!!!! thats too extreme, then i read he sued Michael jackson, will smith….what!!!! i could only imagine how much he charged mj?…….someone needs money…

By: Marcum

Marcum — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:12:07 +0000

Syl Johnson is from the time where alot of artist were screwed out of a lot of money. He’s also one of the folks that doesn’t mind folks sampling…as long as he gets paid along with recognition. Put yourself in his shoes….his is not at all in the wrong in this situation. The crazy thing is that more than likely this is a mistake the record label made.

By: Tommylux

Tommylux — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:36:21 +0000

I don’t think producers who just put up stuff here and there on the net need to worry about being hit with lawsuits. Also, seems like the laws not as strict on that here in Europe as in the US.

As for Syl, I got mad respect for the man as an artist, but on this one’s he’s just being an asshole. My guess is man must be in desperate need of money. But things like this make me regret I even bought any of his records

By: Cenzo

Cenzo — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 09:36:58 +0000

chop them samples, so that the artists won’t notice that you used their song …i heard there are also special lawyers for searching uncleared samples. its crazy

By: S.2

S.2 — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 08:51:44 +0000

Established artists should clear their samples, but u can’t expect some like me to be clearing samples. Its ridiculous. If I ever got sued I’d have nothing to give them lol. As if someone like me is going to go thru the long and expensive process of clearing a sample, just so that u can put it up on ur myspace or soundclick page or whatever. Hopefully it never gets to that point.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:04:13 +0000

Rza and other wu producers have sampled Sly a lot. They must have paid.

By: trapperjohnmd

trapperjohnmd — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:02:15 +0000

I guess the Wu paid for that sample for Hollow Bones off of the W album

By: Tokyo Cigar

Tokyo Cigar — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:21:36 +0000

DAAAAAAAAAAAMN SON! $29 million for an interlude thats over 15 years old, come on.

I’m glad that apart from my “kill the violator” album and some joints i did for the 90’s remix contest that i dont sample nothing but small vocal clips so i dont have to worry bout no wild shit like this.

Cats really should clear their joints but $29 million is CRAZY. Yo Syl LET MUGGS LIVE. We need cats like him in the game that continue that boom bap tradition.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:51:42 +0000

I can’t say it enough… clear your samples.

By: Sean Deez

Sean Deez — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:25:34 +0000

goddamn…

Its dangerous for producers out there to sample it seems these days. A lot of older artist or their companies are just waiting for an artist to come out and make it big so they can chomp down on their success. Funny enough, I’ve heard a lot of stories of Producers just going flat out broke because of this problem

By: Cenzo

Cenzo — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:12:10 +0000

how crazy is that?! but he won’t get the 29 mil. never ever. how redicilous would that be? but, to be honest, how dumb is it not to pay for a sample?…