UPDATED: Drake Sued Over 'Marvin's Room' By An Ex-Girlfriend
Posted by Joseph Lee on 02.04.2012
Drake responds and denies it..
UPDATE: Drake has issued a response denying the allegations by his purported ex-girlfriend that her voice in the song "Marvin's Room" came with an agreement that she would be paid and co-credited as a writer.
"This claim is entirely without merit and our client has not engaged in any wrongful conduct," a spokesperson for Drake said. "Ericka Lee consented to the use of her voice in the song 'Marvin's Room' prior to its release. Lee asked only for the credit she received as 'Syren Lyric Muse,' and she did not ask for any compensation. It was only after she retained a lawyer that there was a demand for payment. Drake tried for months to resolve the matter amicably, and he now looks forward to being vindicated in court."
ORIGINAL: Drake is being sued by a woman who says she's an ex-girlfriend, and is the voice on the phone in the music video of "Marvin's Room".
The woman, Ericka Lee, is suing the rapper for not giving her co-writer royalties on the song. She filed the lawsuit on Thursday in California federal court claiming the two were together between early 2010 and mid-2011. The two traded poems and song lyrics and discussing joint creative projects.
According the Lee, Drake agreed to work with her on "Marvin's Room" and split the profits. She says she was asked to record tthe "hook" as well as the opening monologue. The complaint read: "Plaintiff's contribution is highly significant to the overall work."
Lee claims that Drake said in text messages: "U basically made that song" and "It's s--t without you."
Drake gave her credit as a "vocalist" as "Syren Lyric Muse". The two registered the sound recording at the U.S. Copyright Office. Lee made a claim there on July 11, saying that her works and voice were used for the work. Drake's label, Cash Money Records made their own claim, saying the song authored was an "employer for hire."
Lee says after the song was released, their relationship ended. The two were supposed to meet in Los Angeles but that never happened. Drake later sent her a text message that offered 2% of publishing royalties. Lee then hired a lawyer, and she claims after that Drake sent threatening phone calls. He then offered her 4-5% of publishing royalties and a $50,000 payout.
Lee is demanding a judge make her the co-writer of the song, and is also seeking damages and disgorgement of profits on allegations of breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment. Lee is represented by Neville Johnson. Johnson previously sued Drake on behalf of Playboy Enterprises for sampling an unauthorized sound recording it owned on "Best I Ever Had."
