Nicki Minaj has agreed to pay up in a bid to settle a copyright dispute the usage of a Tracy Chapman sample by her.
She will part with $450,000 to end the two-year tussle connected to Chapman’s claim that Minaj used parts of Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight in her song “Sorry”.
Though the song Minaj sang with Nas was never released, a leaked version of the song went viral.
Minaj was accused of sharing the song with DJ Funkmaster Flex, who played the song on his radio show.
A sample of the dancehall track ‘Sorry’ by Jamaican artist, Shelly Thunder, that was based on Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight was featured in the track. Chapman did not grant Minaj permission to use her song.
In an initial judgment, it was ruled that Minaj’s sample constituted “fair use”, but permitted the complain of Chapman to go to trial.
The legal proceedings will no longer be necessary as Chapman has accepted Minaj’s settlement offer, which according to reports, covers Chapman’s costs and legal fees.
