50 Cent Can’t “Get Money” Without Putting Up A Fight

Written By S. Samuel

G-Unit leader 50 Cent has reportedly been named in a lawsuit which claims he stole the instrumental to his 2007 Curtis album hit single, "I Get Money."

50 Cent
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Details on the lawsuit landed online Wednesday (December 15) evening.

Lawyers for Tyrone Simmons, an Atlanta rapper who goes by “Caliber,” filed a copyright infringement lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn. The lawsuit names 50 Cent, along with the producer who created the instrumental beat for the 2007 hit song, “I Get Money,” and a host of music industry companies. The lawsuit seeks damages and says Simmons had bought exclusive rights to the instrumental track, and that 50 Cent and others infringed on his rights by using it. A representative for 50 Cent’s record company declined comment. Contact information for the producer could not be found. (Associated Press)

The plaintiff claims he has multiple rights over the disputed track.

Tyrone Simmons, a/k/a “Caliber,” an aspiring 28-year-old rap artist from Atlanta, Ga., has filed suit in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York seeking damages for copyright infringement and other claims. Specifically, Simmons alleges that he purchased an exclusive license for all of the rights to use, record, publish, re-produce, perform and/or sell the “I Get Money” instrumental beat, from which the song is titled, from its producer William Stanberry, a/k/a Apex, and that Stanberry and others, including 50 Cent, knowingly infringed upon his rights. (PR Newswire)

Today, an attorney for Simmons released a statement speaking on the suit’s seriousness.

“The misappropriation of copyright-protected material is an endemic problem in the music business, and particularly in the genre of hip-hop/rap. This is one such case,” said Louis D. Tambaro, an attorney at Red Bank, N.J.-based Marks & Klein, LLP, one of the firms representing Simmons. “Our client was granted exclusive rights to the ‘I Get Money’ instrumental and was unceremoniously cut out of the loop when the defendants realized they had a huge hit on their hands.” (Statement)

50’s record spawned a music video along with a remix by Jay-Z and Diddy around September 2007.

‘I Get Money’ was released in June 2007, peaking at No. 4 on Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart. The single, which was named as one of the best tracks of the year by Rolling Stone and Time, later spawned a high voltage remix featuring Diddy and Jay-Z. (The Boom Box)

Check out “I Get Money” below:

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Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

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