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Jermaine Dupri and Jacquees Face $150K Copyright Lawsuit Over “Pick It Up”

Rap group Home Team is suing Jermaine Dupri and Jacquees in federal court over their 2023 song “Pick It Up,” alleging the song infringed on protected elements of their 1992 song of the same name without permission or compensation.

The lawsuit claims that the lyrics and musical elements of Home Team’s original “Pick It Up” were utilized in the later recording without the brothers being credited as writers, as per the complaint detailed by AllHipHop. They are seeking more than $150,000 in damages, as well as credit as writers and a share of the publishing royalties from the newer recording.

The original version was released in 1992 as part of the album Via Satellite from Saturn on Home Team/Luke Records. Over 30 years later, Dupri and Jacquees laid down their own “Pick It Up” for Mass Appeal in 2023.

The case hinges on whether there was copying of legally protected expression from Home Team’s 1992 composition. The songs’ similarity isn’t, in and of itself, proof of copyright infringement, the pending lawsuit will need to address the specific elements that the plaintiffs say were used unlawfully.

Read More: Kanye West Seeks 2027 Trial Date in Former Donda Academy Guard’s Lawsuit

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The case, then, involves a decades-old rap recording that is at the center of a legal dispute involving two later-generation artists and a contemporary music company. The Watlers’ claims center on both the alleged use of their original work and the financial and songwriting recognition they say should have accompanied that use.

The case is still pending, and no court has yet ruled that the 2023 version of “Pick It Up” infringed Home Team’s copyright. The courts will decide whether the elements identified by the Watlers are protected by copyright and whether, if they are protected, they were used illegally.

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Boosie Badazz Responds to Kewon White’s Claims About Dallas Shooting

Boosie Badazz is responding after Kewon White, the man recently convicted of killing Mo3, spoke about the 2020 shooting involving the Louisiana rapper and said he had multiple chances to kill him. Speaking from jail during an interview with Cam Capone News, White talked about his problems with Boosie’s behavior on a trip to Dallas after Mo3’s death. White told the rapper he shot at Boosie about 10 times but wasn’t trying to kill him. He claimed he had three opportunities to kill the rapper.

Boosie was shot in the leg in Dallas on November 14, 2020, days after Mo3 was killed and one day after Boosie attended a vigil for his late collaborator. Boosie has taken note of the new comments in part because White is currently appealing his murder conviction. Boosie also questioned why White would go public with information about the shooting while appealing his case.

In a reply on social media, Boosie wondered why White would do that, believing the jailhouse interviews might cause more problems for the convicted killer. He also objected to the decision to explore the particulars of Mo3’s death while trying to appeal the conviction. White was convicted this month of capital murder for shooting Mo3, whose real name was Melvin Noble, on a Dallas highway in 2020. White has filed a notice of appeal since.

Read More: DJ Vlad Challenges Boosie Badazz Over Federal Gun Case

So the timing of White’s comments has become a central part of Boosie’s reaction. Boosie didn’t address White’s allegations regarding the 2020 shooting but did ask why someone challenging a murder conviction would even talk about case details in public interviews.

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The case has also included allegations against Yella Beezy. During White’s trial, prosecutors said Beezy paid White to kill Mo3. White has denied receiving any payment from Beezy, and Beezy has denied any involvement in the alleged murder plot.

White’s conviction and subsequent appeal have kept the case in the public conversation, and his recent jail interview added another chapter. His remarks on Boosie also address a violent period following Mo3’s death, during which Boosie traveled to Dallas and was shot. For Boosie, the problem is bigger than what happened in 2020. White’s choice to discuss the shooting while seeking an appeal has caused him to publicly question the strategy behind the interviews and the timing of the disclosures.

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DJ Vlad Challenges Boosie Badazz Over Federal Gun Case

DJ Vlad is taking his beef with Boosie Badazz to the next level, asking whether the rapper’s behavior in his federal gun case matches the anti snitching code he’s long imposed on others in hip hop.

In a new clip for VladTV, Vlad looked back at Boosie’s federal gun case and pointed to court documents he says show the rapper from Baton Rouge shifting blame onto his security guard. Vlad said the paperwork runs counter to Boosie’s long track record of publicly denouncing rappers he believes are snitching to authorities.

The latest row is another sign of an already frayed relationship. Boosie has been one of VladTV’s most frequent interview guests. Still, their relationship has soured over the years over issues involving interview payments, business dealings, and, most recently, Boosie’s push for a presidential pardon.

The pardon controversy has become a major part of the ongoing public beef between the rappers. Boosie reportedly paid $600,000 to two lobbyists, Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl, to lobby President Donald Trump for a pardon in his federal gun case. When the pardon didn’t come through, Boosie accused them of misleading him and demanded $300,000 back. Burkman and Wohl have denied scamming Boosie, saying they were hired to advocate for him, not to promise a pardon.

Read More: Aubrey O’Day Reacts After Former Diddy Staffers Reportedly Join Usher’s Team

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Boosie went on 60 Minutes to discuss the issue, which brought more attention to the situation. He later complained about how the interview was portrayed and released purported messages involving the lobbyists while defending himself against claims his actions were snitching.

Vlad is now using the controversy to call Boosie out on a principle that has been a major talking point in the rapper’s public commentary. Vlad mentioned Boosie’s situation as part of other past hip-hop discussions he’s had with Gunna, Young Thug, T.I., and Gucci Mane.

“The court documents for Boosie’s federal gun case are another point of contention for Vlad. His case hinges on whether the rapper’s alleged remarks about his security guard should be measured by the same yardstick Boosie has used to measure other artists. The charge is particularly noteworthy as Boosie has cultivated a strong public persona against what he considers snitching. With that history, the latest exchange with Vlad is more personal, adding to a complicated fallout between the two.

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