Feuding with Jay again or just a coincidence? Kanye West plans to sue Jay-Z’s former company Roc-A-Fella Records along with EMI April Music.
In court documents obtained by Us Weekly, which have yet to be officially filed, West’s lawyers outline his various accomplishments in the music industry, spanning back to the mid-1990s.
Though the two suits are heavily redacted, the papers outline the 41-year-old rapper’s role in Jay-Z’s 2001 album, The Blueprint. “He produced what has come to be regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time, The Blueprint, for recording artist Jay Z. Mr. West also co-wrote four of the songs,” the documents read. “In addition to helping revitalize Jay Z’s career, Mr. West’s work on that album caused other recording artists, including Beanie Sigel, Freeway, and Cam’ron, to seek him out to produce their recordings. During this period, he also gained significant recognition as a songwriter, capable of writing hits for other performers, such as Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, and Ludacris.”
The documents claim that West signed a contract with EMI in October 2003 for publishing rights to his songs. His attorneys also allege that the “I Love It” rapper had an exclusive recording deal with Roc-A-Fella. The specifics of the agreements are redacted, but the basis of the lawsuits seem to stem from the arrangements.
The suit against EMI alleges that the Grammy winner wrote more than 200 songs for the company by 2011.
Jay-Z, 49, sold his stake in Roc-A-Fella in 2004.
The “99 Problems” rapper and West were at odds in October 2016 when the Yeezy designer lashed out at his pal on stage. However, Jay-Z called his fellow MC “my brother” in an April 2018 sit-down on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman. He added: “We’re beyond friends.”
