Controversial music producer Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor has filed a formal complaint against VP Records, demanding US$10 million and alleging “the intentional infliction of severe emotional distress” because of fraudulent activities regarding copyrights, funds and the producer’s personal and business life.
The complaint alleges that a direct cause of the Defendants outrageous conduct over 17 years of copyright violations which the Defendants’ have done with impunity, lying to companies and business associates of the Plaintiffs, misappropriating the Plaintiffs’ copyrights, funds and interfering with both their personal and business lives.
“This conduct was intentional, purposefully, maliciously and systematically done to harm the Plaintiffs and keep them from doing business or receiving their just rewards for their work and efforts,” the lawsuit said.
The Plaintiffs demand a jury trial for all counts triable by Jury.
In a copy of the complaint filed by McGregor against VP Records, McGregor alleges that VP Records had forged a 2005 publishing agreement.
“Although VP Records claimed that McGregor signed the Forged 2005 Publishing Agreement. This fraudulent co-publishing agreement only surfaced in or around 2008. VP Records released several of McGregor’s albums and songs between 2005 to 2008, and has credited the publishing to McGregor’s publishing company, Flava Roots Publishing, and The Royalty Network and Hammer Music,” the lawsuit said.
According to the documents filed, on or about November 2022, Plaintiff McGregor conducted a random perusal of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) web database, and discovered that STB Music Inc. has been claiming 50% of the composition for the track, “Feel the Fire,” performed by recording artists Musiq Soulchild and Syleena Johnson.
The composition is controlled by McGregor, Stephan Warren, Pop Reggae Publishing/McWarren Music Publishing and RogierSjardijn, and these parties have never assigned or granted STB Music Inc. or VP Records any rights to the composition, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit outlined several other alleged infringements.
“Because VP Records and STB have willfully infringed, and committed fraud, against the Plaintiffs’ copyrights, and have cost the Plaintiffs both financial and business-opportunity losses, the Plaintiffsseek $10 million in damages against VP Records and STB Music,” the lawsuit charged.
The lawsuit alleged that “for more than 17 years, VP Records has intentionally been using the Forged 2005 Publishing Agreement, to extort or divert money from several music companies by force, intimidation and unlawful use of the Plaintiff, Kemar McGregor’s copyrights and intellectual property”.
