Hip-hop artist Lil Durk finds himself embroiled in a legal tussle with financial technology company, Exceed Talent Capital. The rapper, whose real name is Durk Derrick Banks, is accused of fraudulent dealings involving the rights to his music track “Bedtime.” The lawsuit, filed in a New York court, seeks a hefty sum of $12 million in damages.
The Allegations
In court documents viewed by Music Business Worldwide, Exceed Talent Capital alleges that the rapper agreed to sell them the rights to “Bedtime.” This agreement was made despite an existing exclusive contract between Lil Durk and Alamo Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.
“Exceed Talent Capital acquired the “Bedtime” rights for $600,000, only to discover later that Durk had previously assigned the same rights to a third party.”
This alleged double dealing has landed the rapper in hot water, with the fintech startup seeking recompense for the hefty sum it paid for the rights.
The Fallout
Exceed Talent Capital claims that the fallout from the failed deal has caused significant harm to its reputation and relationships with partners and investors. The company had already paid $450,000 of the $600,000 owed when it was notified by Alamo Records about Durk’s exclusive recording agreement. The revelation forced Exceed to return the funds invested by third parties.
The list of defendants in the lawsuit extends beyond Lil Durk. Manager Andrew “Dilla” Bonsu, Only The Family Entertainment, Inc, OTF Label, and firm TTPMG are also implicated in the legal action.
Prior Partnership with Exceed
Before this dispute, Lil Durk and Exceed had announced a partnership in October last year. The partnership aimed to offer fans a “Trenches All-Access Pass,” akin to an NFT. This pass promised access to a private Grand Theft Auto roleplay server created by the rapper, which at the time had a waitlist of over 15,000 users.
Fans were offered lifetime access, limited edition in-game wearables, and a chance to invest in shares from proceeds of “Bedtime.” However, this partnership has taken a sour turn with the recent allegations.
The Music Industry’s Response
The music industry has responded with mixed reactions to the lawsuit. Last week, it was reported that the artist formerly known as Kanye West expressed interest in buying out Durk’s contract from Sony. This comes as a significant development, given the high-profile nature of both artists.
Conclusion
As the legal proceedings continue, the future of Lil Durk’s music career and his relationships with music labels and tech companies remains uncertain. The outcome of this case could potentially have far-reaching implications for the music industry and the intersection of music and technology.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and integrity in business dealings, particularly in industries like music where intellectual property rights are paramount. It remains to be seen how Lil Durk will respond to these allegations and what impact this will have on his career and reputation.
There has been a short delay in the release of Lil Durk eighth studio LP, Almost Healed, but fans can now press play on it below this Friday (May 26). It was today (May 25) that the OTF frontman Lil Durk surprised fans by releasing both the opening and closing videos to the track “Pelle Coat” and “Therapy Session,” featuring Alicia Keys.
It was in the summer of 2022 when Lil Durk dropped 7220, an effort that featured a total of 17 tracks, including contributions from Summer Walker,Future, Gunna, and Morgan Wallen. As a result, the album was ranked as the No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, this being the first solo album to chart at that position for the “3 Headed Goat” rapper. Within a few months after its original release, the platinum-certified body of work underwent a limited edition upgrade containing 13 new cuts and collaborative efforts with Doodie Lo, Moneybagg Yo, Ella Mai, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and EST Gee.
The Only The Family collective of Lil Durk and his Endless Enthusiasm has unveiled its follow-up to the Loyal Bros compilation that was released in 2021. During this round of the album, fans will be able to enjoy 23 tracks that have been provided by Icewear Vezzo, Kodak Black, Future, BIG30, and Trippie Redd.
The visuals for Lil Durk’s standout track from Loyal Bros 2 have come out just a few days after the release of the album, “Block Is Hot,” a collaborative effort between Durk and rising star Deeski. Lala the DJ is responsible for producing the track, along with PHIL, King Osama, and Joel Demora, which pays homage to a classic Lil Wayne single while instilling in listeners a vivid picture of the streets of Chicago, including:
This video clip, which celebrates the release of Lil Durk’s banger “Block Is Hot”, features the rapper, Deeski, as well as other members of OTF appearing in different parts of Chicago, including the neighborhood of Englewood. As well as showing off stacks of money, Durk & Co. have been spotted paying tribute to fallen rapper King Von, as well as showing off some of their own cash.
In addition to Loyal Bros 2, Lil Durk also dropped a seventh studio LP in March called 7220. This album features 17 songs and has collaborations with Gunna, Summer Walker, and Morgan Wallen. It was only several months after the chart-topping album was released that a deluxe edition of the album was released with 13 additional tracks and collaborations with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Moneybagg Yo, EST Gee, and more.
Featuring Lil Durk, Southside joins forces with 808 Mafia for “Save Me,” which embodies the heavy, street-oriented sounds that make the collective one of hip-hop’s most prolific producers. This song follows April’s “Hold That Heat,” a collaboration with Future and Travis Scott that featured all three parties boasting about their rock star lifestyles:
There is no doubt that you are familiar with Southside’s hits even if you are unfamiliar with the artist. As far as work produced under his own name is concerned, the Atlanta beatsmith has released songs such as “Been Thru This Before” featuring Saint Jhn and Giggs, “Hmmm” alongside Valee and Lil Yachty, “Blue Jean Bandit” featuring Moneybagg Yo, Young Thug, TM88, and Future and “Order” by Gunna and TM88. Along with his own work, Southside has also been responsible for classics (past and present) including Polo G “Young N Dumb,” Doe Boy “BIG OH REALLY,” Roddy Ricch “thailand,” Gunna “poochie gown,” Babyface Ray “6 Mile Show,” EST Gee “Riata Dada,” G Herbo “Locked In,” and Lil Durk “AHHH HA.”
A few of Southside’s biggest career achievements were discussed during a past interview with Complex:
The experience of watching my little brothers and sisters sing stuff I made, like beats I made or songs I composed. Once my mom sent me a text saying, “Yeah, you made that beat.” I felt like I had achieved something. There is no amount of money that can replace that feeling.”
A year ago, Chris Brown and Young Thug collaborate their hybrid project titled Slime & B, which featured 13 tracks as well as additional features from MajorNine, Shad da God, Gunna, Lil Duke, E-40, Too $hort, HoodyBaby, and more. Now, the pair has chosen to upgrade the standout from the project titled “Go Crazy” by creating a remix with additional assistance from Mulatto, Lil Durk, and Future.
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