Facts...
NOTHING BUT THE FACTS
François WEYER (Francis Goya) vs Universal Music Pubishing - Kluger Partners (RKM) - Sony Music Entertainment
Synopsis.
Multiple Complaints and Legal Actions in progress and to come in the USA, in Europe and in Belgium.
The title "No Lady" is composed in 1975 by François WEYER (whose artist name is Francis GOYA).
The title is adapted for the group S.S.O. Orchestra and is called "Faded Lady".
"Faded Lady" is composed by François Weyer and its lyrics were written by Douglas Lucas.
The title "Faded Lady" is declared to the Sabam and is the subject of a copyright in the USA (Copyright : SB33-006A 1977 SUTTON MILLER LTD)..
No Lady (Faded Lady)
Francis Weyer &
The SSO Orchestra
Faded Lady
The SSO Orchestra
This title will be used without right by the biggest American rappers and artists:
BUSTA RYHMES, SWIZZ BEATZ, SPLIFF STAR, RAKIM, NAS, APATHY, Q-TIP, REEK DA VILLAIN, DJ SCRATCH, DIAMOND D (Diamond and the Psychotic neurotics), KAY SLAY, RALPH Mc DANIELS, KID CAPRI, RED ALERT, PAPOOSE , RZA CIPHA SOUNDS, SLICK RICK, BIG DADDY KANE, BRUCIE B, CUTMASTER DC, TALEB KWALI, JEAN GRAE, RAH DIGGA, MISSY ELLIOT, WU-TANG, DJ EQUAL, JAY ROCK, DMX, PYRELLI, KANYE WEST, LUPE FIASCO, HI-TEK, QASHI DA HAMDSOME, BROKE'N'ENGLISH, FREEWAY, RICK ROSS, JOE BUDDEN, KREVA, PAUL NICE, TASUN, ...etc,
It all seems to start, in 1992, when the rapper Diamond D (Joseph Kirkland) plagiarises part of the melody of "Faded Lady".
This rapper uses without right the composition of "Faded Lady" in his track "I Went For Mine".
He declares himself the composer when he plagiarises the composition of "Faded Lady".
The track "I Went For Mine" is included in the album “STUNTS, BLUNTS and HIP HOP”. This album was released in 25 versions on the MERCURY and Chemistry Records labels, and ranked quickly on BILLBOARD Hip Hop USA. It generates substantial income for Diamond D and his record company. Francis Goya ignores at the time this illegal use and that all the royalties which should have returned to him are stolen.
Diamond D
I Went For Mine
In 2006, Busta Rhymes and DJ Kay Slay released a mixtape album called "The Coutdown of The Big Bang". This album presents in track 6 the title "New York Shit" interpreted by Busta Rhymes feat Swizz Beatz.
Again, this track plagiarises the composition of "Faded Lady", while the authorization of Francis Goya is still not requested and Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz and DJ Scratch declare themselves the composers of the plagiarised track.
Still in 2006, the title "New York Shit" is released as a single (vinyl and CD) on the B side in track 2, co-produced by Will I Am: "I Love My Bitch - New York Shit” ranks number 2 on the Billboard Hot Single American in 2006.
The track "New York Shit" is also featured as track 2 of Will I Am's single "I Like To Move It" from the hit cartoon Madagascar.
Busta Rhymes also released "New York Sh***" under other names: "East Coast Sh***", "New York Sh***", New York Sh***, etc...
On June 4, 2006, Busta Rhymes performs, with the biggest rappers of the time, the title "New York Sh***" at the most important festival of HIP HOP: the Hot Summer Jam 97 that attracts more than 125.000 spectators. This huge event takes place at the Giant Stadium (named after the New York NFL team, the Giants), while it is also televised and broadcast on the related radio station and organizer of the festival (sponsored by: Boost Mobile, Xbox 360, Whiteboy, The Tobacco Coalition, and XXL Magazine).
During his performance, Busta Rhymes wears the Giants uniform and especially the T-shirt with the number 80 of Jeremy Shockey, one of the most important players of the Giants and American football (NFL). This performance propels the album "BIG BANG", that Busta Rhymes releases in the wake, to the first place of Billboard USA, with the title "New York Shit" included.
On this album, François Weyer is not included as a composer, although the composition of "Faded Lady" is clearly used.
While the album "BIG BANG" is number 1 on the U.S. Billboard, other rappers (including those who performed "New York Shit" with Busta Rhymes at Hot Summer Jam 97) release the same track.
Busta Rhymes & Sweez Beatz
New York Shit
The album "BIG BANG" and its title "New York S***" is also No. 1 on the Billboard Soundscan, No. 1 on the Billboard 200 USA, No. 1 on the Billboard Top Internet album, and in the "Charts albums" of many countries: Canada (6), Switzerland (6), UK (1), Germany (10). (The Big Bang (Busta Rhymes album) - Wikipedia).
"BIG BANG" is certified Gold in the USA by the RIAA, Silver in the UK by the BPI.
All the big rappers, and not only American, release their own "New York Sh***" under the titles: "LA Sh***", "London Sh***", "Miami Sh***", "Tokyo Sh***", "Osaka Sh***", "Foul Breeze", "Moscow Sh***"...
There are so many rappers using the concept "New York Shit" with the name of a city followed by "Shit" that the German channel Broken Comedy made a satirical clip "Koln Porz Shit" to make fun of these numerous titles and clips of international rappers:
Busta Rhymes & Sweez Beatz
New York Shit
It is understood that all these titles used the composition of François Weyer without his agreement, and without any collection of rights and royalties.
Talib Kweli uses the same sample from "Faded Lady" in a track still called "New York Shit". He mentions himself as the only author/composer of the track.
The composition "Faded Lady" is considered to be the most plagiarised composition by rappers worldwide.
Nas
Foul Breeze
Talib Kweli & Jean Grae
New York Shit
DJ EQUAL
June 2014 Tour Highlights
The declarations to ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) will not be regularised after the distribution of the rights, so that even the rights collected by this administration society or others will not be distributed to the benefit of François Weyer.
Here is a small incomplete list of titles and artists who used the sample:
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Roll My Shit by Currensy
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ADD Pt.2 by Wale
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New Jerz Shit (Remix) by Joe Budden
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Return of the Mac (aka New York Shit) by Prodigy
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New York Shit (Marley Marl Remix) (featuring KRS-One)
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New York Shit (Freestyle) - Mashonda
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New York Shit (Remix) (featuring Swizz Beatz, Nas, Papoose, Labba & MOP)
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Down South Shit (featuring Slim Thug, Three 6 Mafia & Rick Ross)
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Dade County Shit (featuring Pitbull, Smitty & C-Ride)
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LA Shit - Jay Rock (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)
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BK Shit- Gravy & A-Smash
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New York Shit (Legend Remix) (featuring Rakim, DMX and Jadakiss) (Unofficial, it consists in verses from other songs, like The Watcher)
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H-Town Shit - Brooke Valentine feat. Bun B
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Pyrelli - London Shit
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Midwest Shit (featuring Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Common & Twista)
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New York Shit (Freestyle) - Hi-Tek
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New York Shit (featuring Jean Grae & Talib Kweli)
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Live My Life (featuring StarRJ The Feenom & Lo)
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Tokyo Shit - Kashi Da Handsome
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Manchester Shit - Broke'n'English
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PA Shit - Freeway
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JA Shit - The Bulletproof Army
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Rick Ross - Miami Shit
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DMX – I Run Shit.
And some remixes :
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New York Shit Feat Diddy;
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New York Shit Feat Joe Budden;
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New York Shit Feat Harlem Beatz;
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New York Shit Feat Murda Mook;
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New York Shit Feat DMX;
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New York Shit Feat Young Buck;
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New York Shit Feat John Doe;
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New York Shit Feat Uncle Murda – Keyz;
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New York Shit Feat Papoose;
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New York Shit Feat Swiiz Beatz;
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New York Shit Feat Dutch;…
Tokyo Shit will be itself the subject of a remix entitled:
Tokyo Shit feat Soldier,
a 2nd under the name Tokyo shit feat OHL Day,
a 3rd under the name Tokyo Shit feat Pig the Ryo,
a 4th under the name Osaka Shit,
a 5th under the name Tokyo Shit feat VIKN from the Ghost,
a 6th under the name Tokyo Shit Feat Fourd,
a 7th under the name Tokyo Shit feat Kashi Da Handsome,
an 8th under the name Tokyo Shit Feat Simon,
a 9th under the name Tokyo Shit feat Nobu from Babysickk,
a 10th under the name of Tokyo Shit feat Bamboo,
an 11th under the name Tokyo Shit feat.チャック,
a 12th under the name Tokyo Shit feat Kreva,
and dozens of others, such as Osaka Shit...
"New York Shit" is also integrated in more than 30 television series.
After 16 years of fighting, dozens of hours of negotiations, hundreds of emails and letters sent, remained to this day without result... The cup is full and François WEYER/Francis GOYA has decided to summon those responsible for the theft of his rights, namely, the largest majors including Universal Music Publishing, Sony Music Entertainment, Kluger Partners, Aftermath, Interscope, Ensign Music LLC, T'ZIAH'S Music, Zomba, DJ Scratch Music, Kobalt Music... as well as the collecting companies that have turned a blind eye to the misappropriation of publishers responsible for SABAM and ASCAP.
The embezzled fees are estimated to be in the millions of dollars.
Francis Goya denounces a culture of theft in the music industry and the well-organized practices by the biggest majors and some DSP, with the benevolence of rights collecting societies with the sole purpose of misappropriating artists' rights.
Francis Goya founded in 2006 the “A.S.B.L. Défense des Artistes et de leurs Droits” with the lawyer Cédric Waucquez, fighting against these practices.
. (20+) Defense of Artists and their Rights - DAD | Facebook
