Troy Ave has been sued in federal court over his 2016 song “Chuck Norris,” with the company that represents the song’s producer, CITO, claiming the imprisoned rapper has no right to profit from the song.
Court documents obtained by HipHopDX reveal that the complaint – filed on April 12 – was filed by In The Struggle Productions, LLC, because “no compensation or payment has ever been provided, or even offered in good faith, to the owner of the musical work embodied in a highly qualified document. hit song.
The company says it received no royalties from the song, although it received “millions of paid plays on Spotify as well as many other commercial distribution channels.” He claims that Troy’s song “was released without authorization or compensation”, in violation of their rights.
In The Struggle Productions, LLC is the company that signed producer Ruben D. Sosa, Jr. – better known as CitoOnTheBeat, or CITO, who has produced hit tracks for Cardi B and Lil Yachty. The company, which signed a deal with Cito in 2012, is suing Troy for a fairly large sum.
Namely, the company wants $150,000 for “each act of infringement,” punitive damages to be determined at trial, $250,000 in diversion fees, $250,000 in attorney’s fees, $300,000 in infringement fees trademark, $350,000 in advertising fee violations and $500,000 in unfair charges. enrichment costs, totaling $1.8 million plus punitive damages.
Check out parts of the lawsuit below.
Troy Ave Sued for Using Controversial Track for His Song ‘Chuck Norris’ pic.twitter.com/sJEMKbh23y
– HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) April 20, 2024
Last February, Troy Ave (real name Roland Collins) began serving his prison sentence following a 2016 shooting that left his bodyguard dead.
Brooklyn rapper and podcaster Taxstone got into a fight at a TI concert at Irving Plaza in New York, resulting in Ave being shot twice, killing his bodyguard Ronald “Banga » McPhatter and the injury of two bystanders.
Taxstone was sentenced to 35 years in prison while Troy Ave received a reduced prison term of one year.
Troy spoke about his departure in an Instagram video titled “#FreeTroyAve” and appeared to confirm he was turning himself in to authorities to begin his sentence.
“About to come to court, you may not see me for a while, but knowing the street is a myth,” he said. “Someone shot me. Instead of lying down and dying, I would have been a hero, a martyr. I take the gun and come back.
“There you go, those are the consequences. We don’t cry over spilled milk. You take the lemons and you make lemonade. You continue to support it and make it work. And send prayers; prayers matter more than anything… I’m leaving here.