*The members of legendary hip-hop group 2 Live Crew have been hit with a lawsuit by a record label over control of the band’s catalog. The suit is the latest in the music industry related to copyright law’s termination right.
Here’s more from Billboard:
In a complaint filed Thursday, Lil Joe Records Inc. asked a Florida federal court to rule that 2 Live Crew is not allowed to use the termination right — a provision that allows creators to regain ownership of their works decades after they sold them.
Lil Joe said it purchased 2 Live Crew’s catalog when the group’s previous label, Luke Records Inc., went bankrupt in 1995. The current dispute kicked off in November 2020, when members of the band notified Lil Joe that they planned to invoke the termination provision and take back control of their music. The notice was filed by surviving members Luther Campbell and Mark Ross, as well as the heirs of late member Christopher Wong Won.
Lil Joe’s lawsuit argues that “the group failed to file proper notices, and that aspects of bankruptcy law trump the termination right,” the outlet writes. The label says 2 Live Crew is ineligible to use the termination provision and is hoping a federal judge agrees.
READ MORE: Uncle Luke Slams Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Over 2 Live Crew Snub
The record label has also noted that 2 Live Crew never owned any rights to their music because their songs were created as part of a work-for-hire deal with their record label.
In related news, earlier this year, Luther Campbell reacted to the group being snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The hip-hop icon took to social media to address the fact that 2 Live Crew was not among the 2021 class. The Miami rapper wrote, “S**t another year of not getting inducted to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.”
Per Ace Showbiz, “to be able to be considered for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an artist or act must be 25 years removed from their first recording,” the outlet writes. 2 Live Crew is eligible as their debut album. “The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are,” was released in 1986.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
