Saturday 7 June 2008

Kanye West sued over jazz samples

Kanye West and his record label have been sued by a late jazz musician's daughter for allegedly using samples of her father's music without proper approval.

Common, Method Man, Redman and their record companies were also named in the suit, which was filed by musician Joe Farrell's daughter Kathleen Firrantello in the US District Court in New York.

The lawsuit claims that the rappers used samples of Farrell's 1974 composition 'Upon This Rock' in three different songs -- West in 'Gone', Common in 'Chi-City' and Method Man and Redman in 'Run 4 Cover', reports Reuters.

The labels named in the suit include Island Def Jam Music Group and its label Roc-A-Fella Records, Universal Music Group, its labels Interscope Records, Geffen Records and A&M Records and its parent company Vivendi.

In the lawsuit, Firrantello is seeking punitive damages of no less than $1 million and is asking that sales and performances of the songs be halted.

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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