Syl Johnson Suing Cypress Hill

behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
edited October 2008 in Strut Central
i just saw this online. He is suing Cypress Hill 15 yrs later for the use of "Is It Because I'm Black"b,121b,121for real? i thought it was common knowledge in our circles that they have done that. and with Cypress being so huge how did Syl not know?b,121b,121or is he broke now?
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  • GaryGary 3,982 Posts
    Is It Because I'm Broke

  • kalakala 3,361 Posts
    what about the wu?b,121they cleard that?

  • behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121what about the wu?b,121they cleard that? b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121sshhhhhb,121b,121he's watching!

  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    Kool G Rap, watch yo ass!

  • /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121Is It Because I'm Broke b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121

  • post deleted someone already posted my thought...

  • behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
    Syl Johnson is suing Cypress (among a host of record and publishing companies) for a whopping $29 million, because he claims the beats from his 1969 song "Is It Because I'm Black" were used on Hill's tune "Lock Down" -- which was also called "Interlude."

  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    $29 million for an interlude? b,121"Is It Because I'm Seeking Excessive Damages"

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Wait - Columbia didn't clear that shit back then? That seems...dumb?

  • behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121$29 million for an interlude? b,121"Is It Because I'm Seeking Excessive Damages" b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121it says a host of record and pub companies so i am assuming it isn't just the interlude but probably Wu etc...

  • johmbolayajohmbolaya 4,472 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121Wait - Colombia didn't clear that shit back then? That seems...dumb? b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121A lot of countries didn't clear a lot of things.

  • RerogRerog 569 Posts
    Sounds like someone told Syl to

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121Wait - Colombia didn't clear that shit back then? That seems...dumb? b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121A lot of countries didn't clear a lot of things. b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121 In my defense, I have been listening to a lot of Fuentes joints lately so...

  • behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
    i work at Sony Music Ent and it that album came out before the huge sample thing started in 93.b,121b,121i checked the database and it def was not cleared.b,121b,121a lot of their stuff is cleared for Greatest Hits but they obviously didn't put an interlude on that so....b,121b,121oops!

  • /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121Wait - Colombia didn't clear that shit back then? That seems...dumb? b,121b,121h,121
    b,121yeah that makes no sense.

  • I don't know, 1993 was right after high-profile sampling lawsuits. Columbia might just not have been hip to it just yet. (stupidly for them)

  • verb606verb606 2,518 Posts
    I read somewhere that Syl gets paid for every copy of Enter the Wu (or specifically "Shame on a Nuh") that sells, so I assume that that shit was cleared. b,121b,121That was in a low-rent hip-hop magazine so I could certainly be misinformed.

  • behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121I read somewhere that Syl gets paid for every copy of Enter the Wu (or specifically "Shame on a Nuh") that sells, so I assume that that shit was cleared. b,121b,121That was in a low-rent hip-hop magazine so I could certainly be misinformed. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121the Source??b,121b,121hahab,121b,121yea but i dont understandb,121b,121Loud was a sub of RCA which is under the same umbrella that Columbia is. weird! this might of been before the merger but i figured people would clean that mess up though!

  • When the Turtles sued De La it was the same reason... label didn't bother clearing a sample on an interlude because, like, who cares- it's not even a song.

  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121I read somewhere that Syl gets paid for every copy of Enter the Wu (or specifically "Shame on a Nuh") that sells, so I assume that that shit was cleared. b,121b,121That was in a low-rent hip-hop magazine so I could certainly be misinformed. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121I'm pretty sure I've read on this board a few times that Syl did a shitty bootleg CD of ITBIB (b/c he didn't own the rights to the album?) that had pics a Wu=Tang gold album in the notes.

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    I was under the impression almost none of "3 Ft. High" was cleared?

  • verb606verb606 2,518 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121b,121b,121the Source??b,121b,121hahab,121b,121yea but i dont understandb,121b,121Loud was a sub of RCA which is under the same umbrella that Columbia is. weird! this might of been before the merger but i figured people would clean that mess up though! b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121b,121Haha. No, I think it was Elementary. Anyone remember that joint?b,121b,121Like I said, my source, no pun intended, is far from definitive. But the article was about sampling and clearing, and Syl was quoted as saying that he's very cool with new artists sampling old music. The writer states that this is probably because he gets so paid off of said Wu sample. b,121b,121I guess I'm not totally clear on who the onus is really on to clear a sample. Or rather, who needs to begin the sample-clearing process? Is it the sample-clearing department of the label, or does the A&R or producer have to holler at them and say "We have a sample we have to clear?"

  • /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121I was under the impression almost none of "3 Ft. High" was cleared? b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121Yeah, 7 tracks out of like 13 full length songs, but I read that the group gave the label all the sample info.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121I read somewhere that Syl gets paid for every copy of Enter the Wu (or specifically "Shame on a Nuh") that sells, so I assume that that shit was cleared. b,121b,121That was in a low-rent hip-hop magazine so I could certainly be misinformed. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121I'm pretty sure I've read on this board a few times that Syl did a shitty bootleg CD of ITBIB (b/c he didn't own the rights to the album?) that had pics a Wu=Tang gold album in the notes. b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121Yes, Syl did release this weird compilation CD with a pic of the Wu-Tang gold album...Syl is part owner of Twinight, so I doubt it was a bootleg (although it sure as hell looks like one).

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121 b,121b,121I guess I'm not totally clear on who the onus is really on to clear a sample. Or rather, who needs to begin the sample-clearing process? Is it the sample-clearing department of the label, or does the A&R or producer have to holler at them and say "We have a sample we have to clear?" b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121It's usually the artist management or the producer. They deliver the record to the label, and they're supposed to tell the A&R which tracks have samples that need clearing. Same thing applies on the publishing side, although it's often the label or an independent sample clearance agency like DMG which approaches the publisher to tie up their end. If the artist has a publishing deal, then his or her publisher will usually make the initial approach to the sampled publisher. Basically, if you've used someone else's shit, the onus is on you or your representatives to get all the approvals in place - in principle, at the very least - before the record can be released, otherwise the label and publisher are liable for all kinds of shit. Occasionally, you'll get producers clearing shit in advance when the artist is signed to their production company and they're still shopping for a deal, simply because if all the clearances are in place beforehand, it's a more attractive prospect for the label. A lot of publishers won't clear shit if a record deal isn't already in place, however.

  • luckluck 4,077 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121I read somewhere that Syl gets paid for every copy of Enter the Wu (or specifically "Shame on a Nuh") that sells, so I assume that that shit was cleared. b,121b,121That was in a low-rent hip-hop magazine so I could certainly be misinformed. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121I'm pretty sure I've read on this board a few times that Syl did a shitty bootleg CD of ITBIB (b/c he didn't own the rights to the album?) that had pics a Wu=Tang gold album in the notes. b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121Yes, Syl did release this weird compilation CD with a pic of the Wu-Tang gold album...Syl is part owner of Twinight, so I doubt it was a bootleg (although it sure as hell looks like one). b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121Total boot. One of those I-made-the-music-so-I-should-be-able-to-personally-reissue-it-regardless-of-what-the-"rights"-say situations.

  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    I'm sure TNG has something to say about this...

  • cascas 1,484 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121Is It Because I'm Broke b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121

  • kicks79kicks79 1,338 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121b,121Haha. No, I think it was Elementary. Anyone remember that joint? b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121You mean Element mag ? never heard of elementary..

  • luckluck 4,077 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121I'm sure TNG has something to say about this... b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121They're cool with Syl. It's more complicated than I let on, but it's a man's business that I'm purposefully not getting into.
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