Nicki Minaj is reportedly being sued for copyright infringement by Julius Johnson, who claims that Minaj’s 2014 song “I Lied” from the album The Pinkprint contains the same underlying beat as his 2011 YouTube song titled “onmysleeve.” Johnson alleges that Minaj and her associates may have had access to his beat when it went missing from a studio decision in 2013. Minaj’s team denies any involvement in the production and suggests that Johnson should pursue the applicable parties.
Nicki Minaj’s Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Julius Johnson has filed a lawsuit against Nicki Minaj, accusing her of copyright infringement over the beat used in her 2014 song “I Lied” from The Pinkprint album. Johnson claims that the song’s instrumentation and beat are identical to his 2011 YouTube song titled “onmysleeve.”
He alleges that he had the beat on a hard drive while attending the Art Institute of Atlanta, which was taken from a studio decision without his knowledge in 2013.
Johnson’s claims suggest that individuals associated with the Queen of Rap and music producer Mike Will Made It was present at the Art Institute when his hard drive went missing. However, Minaj’s team has stated that if Johnson has any grievances, he should go after the applicable parties as she never participated in the production.
They assert that Minaj is primarily a lyricist and that the issue of production will need to be addressed by the relevant individuals.
The Ongoing Legal Situation
In addition to this copyright infringement lawsuit, Nicki Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty, have faced rape allegations from two individuals. Jennifer Hough, the victim in the 2021 case, has been unable to settle with the Pettys.
Another victim, who remains anonymous, is suing both Minaj and Petty for an alleged rape attempt in the mid-1990s. There has been no response from Minaj or Mike Will Made It representatives regarding the copyright infringement lawsuit at this time.
This lawsuit is not the only legal issue Nicki Minaj has faced recently. She and her husband, Kenneth Petty, have been targeted in a rape case, with Jennifer Hough attempting to settle without success. Another victim filed a lawsuit against Minaj and Petty for an alleged rape attempt in the mid-1990s.
Similarly, rising Memphis rapper GloRilla is facing her copyright infringement lawsuit. New Orleans rapper Ivory Paynes has sued GloRilla, Collective Music Group (CMG), Warner Chappell Music, and Sony ATV Music, claiming that GloRilla’s song used key elements from Paynes’ 1994 track titled “Street Of The Westbank.”