: WASHINGTON (AP) - Rapper and music producer Dr. Dre filed a lawsuit in bankruptcy court against defunct label Death Row Records over who owns the rights to the 1992 album "The Chronic."
Dr. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, alleges in the suit that he owns the copyrights to the album, which features hits such as "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang." And he isn't taking kindly to the possibility that Death Row and the court-appointed bankruptcy administrator will try to sell the rights.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles, asserts that Dr. Dre created, produced and was the principal performer on all master recordings for "The Chronic."
Sometime around the fall of 1992, Dr. Dre granted Death Row a license to distribute the album in exchange for payment of royalties. The album was released on the Death Row label in November of that year.
Around March 1996, Dr. Dre agreed to relinquish his 50 percent ownership interest in Death Row Records, as specified in a written agreement. Also under that 1996 agreement, Dr. Dre agreed to hand over copyrights to the album on the condition he continue receiving royalties.
According to the suit, while Dr. Dre has held up his end of the bargain, Death Row has failed to pay the royalties.
As a result, Dr. Dre gave Death Row Records notice in 2000 that he was rescinding the agreements and demanding return of the copyrights.
Based on that move, Dr. Dre asserts in the lawsuit that he is again the rightful owner of the copyrights and that the defendants _ Death Row and the Chapter 11 trustee administering the bankruptcy case _ have infringed on his rights by continuing to distribute the album without the rapper's authorization.
According to the lawsuit, Dr. Dre believes the Chapter 11 trustee intends to sell the copyrights and in the past month has solicited bids from potential buyers.
Dr. Dre is asking the L.A. bankruptcy court to declare that the 1992 and 1996 agreements have been rescinded and compel Death Row and the trustee to restore the copyrights to him.
He's also asking that the label and trustee be made to pay him restitution for all revenue Death Row received from its use of the copyrights.
Dr. Dre also wants the court to issue a permanent injunction that would bar the defendants from offering the copyrights for sale without his written consent.
"If not enjoined, the trustee will proceed to accept a bid, and seek bankruptcy court approval to sell the copyrights accordingly," the lawsuit states.
Death Row Records produced a string of hit records in the 1990s from performers such as Dre, Snoop Dogg and slain rapper Tupac Shakur.
But the label struggled when owner Marion "Suge" Knight was sent to prison for assault and weapons violations. He was released in 2001, then served 10 more months for violating parole. Knight recently put his Malibu mansion up for sale for $6.2 million.
One - Two - Three - And to the Four, Snoop Doggy Frog and Doctor Dre is at the Door....ready to make an ENTRANCE so back on up...While I Vogue and Tear This Run Way Up !!
Hey Dr...or should I say Nurse Dre.
HOW YOU DOIN ?
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WTF?!?! I THOUGHT DRE HAD RIGHTS TO "THE CHRONIC"!!! WELL THAT SUCKS CUZ CHRONIC IS ONE OF THE TOP 10 OF ALL TIME!!! IMO!!! THAT DAMNED SUGE JUST DON'T QUIT!!! BUT I GUESS IF DRE'S STILL GETTING ROYALTIES FROM IT, THEN ***, WHATZ THE BIG DEAL? CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN IT TO ME!!! THAT SHADY RECORD INDUSTRY *** CONFUSES ME!!!
Go Head Dre, Get Yo *** back, Thats A Classic if you get this *** back than hopefully you or Snoop can get the rights to the Doggystyle Album back too if he aint got it already. Remember Dre, You were the creative genius behind Death Row. *** Suge *** & Good Luck Doc!
PS: WHEN THE *** ARE WE GETTIN THAT DETOX ALBUM, DOC?
LEAVE DRE ALONE LOL THIS STORY IS CRAZY I THOUGHT HE HAD THE RIGHTS 2 THIS ALBUM WHO EVEN KNOWS BUT I KNOW ONE THING I LOVE HIM AND SNOOP AINT NOTHIN BUT A G THANG I REMEMBER THAT SONG THATS THE *** I LOVE THAT SONG THAT WAS THE BUSINESS WELL I HOPE THAT DRE DROPS ANOTHER ALBUM SOON CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE DONT TALK ABOUT HIM ANYMORE OR MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT HIM LIKE THEY USE 2 *** SNOOP PASSED HIM UP CAUSE HES DONE RELEASED WAY MORE ALBUMS THAN DRE DOES NOW ITS LIKE HE JUST DISAPPEARED (HOW SAD) AND YEAH I AGREE WITH THE REST ON THAT *** SUGE *** I CANT STAND HIS BIG APE LOOKIN *** HES JUST NOTHING BUT TROUBLE I NEVER LIKED HIM ANYWAYS
@C
As usual u r right on the money cause I know I been ready for the Detox...Ok Now I think about it maybe he tryin to get the rights to it so it can be like a continuation...the cronic comes first then the detox!!!! Ok i'm overthinken *** again. lol
Hey people can say what they want about Dre but the man is a genius without him there would be no SNOOP or Enimen and so much other music that Dre has blessed and whoever is his legal team is totally the *** cause he is always on the top of his game. Big up Dre they can't stop you never have never will and I bet he got those rights back...
Yall remember 187!!! Talk about memories!
@girlygirl
What happened here is called a breach of contract when someone wants to uphold the terms of a contract then they must also adhere to them ya heard and as MTO stated Suge didn't pay him royalities hence the breach...
Holla at cha girl!
Thats what suge get for tryin to *** his way thru the industry...hes gettin everything he deserves...but unfortunately for dre he might hit b/c he signed away his rights to royalies and his masters and left death row with NOTHING! Hes never made any money from that album....he never should have signed away his rights...if they give him his masters back then there gonna have to do the same to anyone else who wants theirs back....*dont see it happenin*....but he deserves them
I once knew Dre in high school and respect his contribution to hip-hop. He walked away from a $250+ million empire, he created, empty-handed. Dre knew he had the ***, we the public, wanted and needed. And he gave it to us. Now, he's on the top 10 Forbes list of the world richest hip-hop entertainers and with 3 of his underlings, Eminem, 50, Snoop and that just yearly income not net worth.
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Suge *** destroyed a record label, lives, etc. and he hidden all the money overseas but he's got his azz spanking coming. Dre has to retain those masters/right because even 30 years from now our children's children will be peeping out the 'Chronic' or even a sample from it.
