Bryan "Birdman" Williams' Cash Money Records is suing Tidal, which is Jay Z's streaming company, for $50 million claiming that the artist-owned music service has no legal right to host Lil Wayne's Free Weezy Album, which arrived exclusively on Tidal on July 4th.
According to the lawsuit, Cash Money owns exclusive rights to all of Lil Wayne's music and his contract strictly says he cannot license his music to anyone else. Tidal has responded by saying that Wayne offered the album exclusively for a stake in the company.
In June, with the release of his single "Glory", a Tidal representative confirmed to Rolling Stone that Lil Wayne had joined other musicians as a part owner of the music service. The Cash Money lawsuit calls Tidal's partnership with Weezy "a desperate and illegal attempt to save their struggling streaming service." The suit even goes after the rapper and his album saying the LP received "tepid reviews" and could potentially hurt Cash Money and their attempts to push Wayne's music in the future.
The news of this particular lawsuit comes only a few hours after Jimmy Carlton Winfrey, an associate of Birdman and Young Thug, was indicted by the state of Georgia for shooting at Lil Wayne's tour buses in April. The 30 count indictment opens by identifying Winfrey, Young Thug, Birdman and Wayne as Blood gang members, and goes on to detail the growing schism between Wayne and Birdman.
Both Wayne and Birdman have been feuding since late last year and blasted Cash Money for refusing to release The Carter V, and in January Lil Wayne sued Cash money for $51 million, hoping to end his contract with the label and gain joint rights to his music he released through his Young Money imprint.
By Devon Pyne for RAPstation.com
Cash Money Records has filed a lawsuit against Tidal
Bryan "Birdman" Williams' Cash Money Records is suing Tidal, which is Jay Z's streaming company, for $50 million claiming that the artist-owned music service has no legal right to host Lil Wayne's Free Weezy Album, which arrived exclusively on Tidal on July 4th.
According to the lawsuit, Cash Money owns exclusive rights to all of Lil Wayne's music and his contract strictly says he cannot license his music to anyone else. Tidal has responded by saying that Wayne offered the album exclusively for a stake in the company.
In June, with the release of his single "Glory", a Tidal representative confirmed to Rolling Stone that Lil Wayne had joined other musicians as a part owner of the music service. The Cash Money lawsuit calls Tidal's partnership with Weezy "a desperate and illegal attempt to save their struggling streaming service." The suit even goes after the rapper and his album saying the LP received "tepid reviews" and could potentially hurt Cash Money and their attempts to push Wayne's music in the future.
The news of this particular lawsuit comes only a few hours after Jimmy Carlton Winfrey, an associate of Birdman and Young Thug, was indicted by the state of Georgia for shooting at Lil Wayne's tour buses in April. The 30 count indictment opens by identifying Winfrey, Young Thug, Birdman and Wayne as Blood gang members, and goes on to detail the growing schism between Wayne and Birdman.
Both Wayne and Birdman have been feuding since late last year and blasted Cash Money for refusing to release The Carter V, and in January Lil Wayne sued Cash money for $51 million, hoping to end his contract with the label and gain joint rights to his music he released through his Young Money imprint.
By Devon Pyne for RAPstation.com
