Rapper Blahz Sues Wyclef for Copyright Infringement

Brooklyn born rapper Blahz, of the group Blahzay Blahzay, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Wyclef Jean for an unauthorized sample that appears on the former Fugees star’s new album, Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant. According to the suit, Clef allegedly used a sample from Blahzay’s 1996 hit single “Danger,” but failed to credit the group or properly clear the sample. The sample appears on the track “Welcome To The East,” which also features dancehall artist Sizzla and the Minister Louis Farrakhan on the violin. According to a press release announcing the suit, both Sizzla and Minister Farrakhan are credited, but Blahzay Blahzay’s name was omitted. According to a statement released by Blahz concerning the case, Wyclef’s people contacted him last June about using the sample. It is unclear what transpired after that initial discussion, but the suit was filed this past December in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Manhattan. “I was left with no choice but to move forward with my decision to take full legal action against Wyclef Jean, and Sony BMG, on behalf of myself and the all the artists around the world who have been the victim of blatant disrespect,” Blahz explained in a statement. “A message has to be delivered to the music industry that these unjust common business practices can’t be ignored or swept under the rug anymore.”