Well, actually, both won
January 09, 2021

Nicki Minaj pays Tracy Chapman $450,000 in a copyright dispute

Rapper Nicki Minaj will pay singer Tracy Chapman $450,000 to settle a copyright dispute over a sample from Chapman's song 'Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight' that Minaj used in her 2018 song 'Sorry', the New York Times reports. The song was based on a sample of the dancehall track 'Sorry' by Jamaican artist Shelly Thunder, and that song, unbeknownst to Minaj, was based on Chapman's 'Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight'. After discovering the connection, Minaj and her record label sought permission to use Chapman's composition, but the singer-songwriter repeatedly refused. Judge sided with the rapper's lawyers, who argued that artists need to be free to sample music while writing and recording, adding that "a ruling uprooting these common practices would limit creativity and stifle innovation within the music industry". Finally, Chapman has accepted Minaj's offer of judgment in the case, and she will receive $450,000 from Minaj. As a result, the two have avoided going to trial. Listen to both songs below.