-Avier Wanjou-Brass
Cousins!
Dancehall artist Shenseea is facing a little dilemma and there is a possibility she might have to cough up a couple millions behind it!
Shenseea and her label Interscope Records have been served with a multi-million dollar copyright lawsuit following claims that her single “Lick” featuring Megan Thee Stallion used elements of Denise Belfon’s Soca song “Work.”
According to DancehallMag, the complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on March 4, 2022, by New York-based Anastas Hackett aka Pupa Nas-T. Described as “a well-known artist and a music producer in the Caribbean genre of music,” Hackett produced and co-wrote “Work” in 1999 with Harkness Taitt.
Get this: DancehallMag contacted Sheenseea’s co-manager Romeich Major, and according to him, he is unaware of the legal issue. Major says, “Dat coulda neva happen cause a big label like dat woulda clear everything.”
But when DancehallMag contacted Hackett, he confirmed that there is a legal issue with the clearance of “Lick.” Hackett tells the outlet that, “It is an administrative issue. It is a live issue in the courts right now, and I have legal counsel, so I can’t say much.”
Hackett and his company, Traveling Man Productions, LLC, is represented by NY attorney Courtney K. Davy. and they are seeking over $10 million in damages! Yikes!
In the complaint, “Atal Music and Escolier were contracted by Shenseea’s representatives to clear the sample of “Work” for use in the “Lick”. ” But Hackett withheld his consent for the song because he found the terms offered by the defendants inadequate.
“Lick” has 10 million views on Youtube and peaked No. 20 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100.