DaBaby and Roddy Ricch have been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit over their song “Rockstar,” Rolling Stone reports. Florida producer JuJu Beatz, born Craig Mims, claims they stole the beat from his song “Selena” and used it for the 2020 hit.
According to the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Friday, “Plaintiff provided his musical composition known as ‘Selena’ to Defendants in 2019,” which was “accessed on more than 40 occasions in late 2019 and early 2020.” The song “Rockstar” was then released in April 2020.
JuJu said he was not compensated for the use of his song’s beat on the smash hit. He claimed he’s reached out to DaBaby in an attempt to settle the dispute, but the rapper won’t “cooperate or accept responsibility for blatant and willful copyright infringement.” He’s now seeking $150,000 worth of statutory damages per infringement.
“It is unfortunate that these types of situations occur almost daily within the music industry,” Mims’ attorney told Rolling Stone of the lawsuit. “The unequal balance of power and money in the industry is sometimes used to silence the real individuals who truly deserve a piece of the action and money.”
“It is too easy for the labels and mainstream artists and producers to cut out the ones who really matter the most,” the attorney continued. “It is disheartening because there is enough money in the industry to change everyone’s lives but the money usually ends up in the hands of the few.”
Producer Sethinthekitchen, Caroline Diaz, Warner Chappell, Universal Music Group and DaBaby’s publishing company Project Dreams Entertainment are also named in the suit.
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