Nicki Minaj Wins Legal Battle with Singer Tracy Chapman

Sampling is always an issue with artists. A few years ago, Nicki Minaj used a sample of a Tracy Chapman's song, "Baby Can I Hold You" for Nicki's song "Sorry" for her Queen album. Here is the thing, the song was never released. Nicki was trying to get permission to use the sample, however, Funkmaster Flex is the one who aired the song. "Sorry" was never really officially released. However, when Tracy heard about her sample being used, of course she took Nicki to court. According to Vulture, Nicki basically won that part of the case. A judge ruled in favor of Nicki, saying Nicki did not engage in copyright infringement, citing the fair use doctrine. The judge said, "Artists usually experiment with works before seeking licenses from rights holders and rights holders typically ask to see a proposed work before approving a license." But the legal battle still isn't over because although the song was leaked on radio, the court has to determine whether Nicki infringed upon Tracy's rights by distributing the song over the radio. Yeah, it's complicated.

Nicki Minaj (Getty)
Tracy Chapman (Getty)

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