Kanye, Others Sued Over 1970s Jazz Sample

by **J The Kidd** Fri Sep 12, 2008 4:45 pm

Several rappers and their record labels are being sued over a 1970s jazz record that was allegedly sampled without permission. Kanye West, Common, Method Man, and Redman were named in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court in New York.
Kathleen Firrantello, daughter of the late jazz musician Joe Farrell, is accusing each artist of illegally lifting portions of his 1974 record, “Upon This Rock.”

The sample allegedly appears on the songs “Gone” by Kanye West, “Chi-City” by Common, and “Run 4 Cover” by Method Man and Redman.

Firrantello is seeking punitive damages of at least $1 million, and a court order banning further copies of the songs from being made, sold, or performed live.

Coincidentally, each artist is signed under a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, the parent company which houses labels Def Jam, Interscope, and Geffen.

None of the record companies or rappers has commented on the lawsuit.

Joe Farrell, who passed away in 1986 at the age of 48, was a saxophonist and flutist – performing alongside jazz greats Charles Mingus, George Benson, and Herbie Hancock in the 1970s.