The Chicago musician named Clive Tanaka alleged Minaj's 2012 hit, 'Starship', has infringed on his 2011 track called 'New Chicago'.
- September 12, 2013
AceShowbiz -
An underground electronic musician has sued Nicki Minaj for copyright infringement, Chicago Tribune reports. The mysterious artist from Chicago named Clive Tanaka claimed that the former "American Idol" judge illegally used portions of his 2011 track called "Neu Chicago" in her 2012 smashing hit, "Starship".
Filed on Tuesday, September 10 in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Tanaka's lawsuit also names RedOne, the producer of the track, as well as co-writers Carl Falk, Wayne Hector, and Rami Yacoub. Tanaka alleged that the producer and writers were living in Sweden when "Neu Chicago" was featured in several TV ads in the country.
"[The 'Starship' collaborators] had a very good opportunity to hear it," Tanaka's lawyer, Christopher Niro, said.
Tanaka has previously posted his "Neu Chicago" and Minaj's "Starship" online, so fans could hear the alleged similarities between the two tracks. "We believe they are similar to the point that it is nearly impossible for it to be a coincidence," Niro added.
Minaj and her "Starship" collaborators haven't commented on the news. Meanwhile, Niro said that his client is currently working on "a new album and screenplay."
