In September of 2013,
Chicago EDM artist Clive Tanaka filed a lawsuit against Nicki Minaj
claiming the Young Money rapper’s hit song “Starships” illegally used
parts of his song “Neu Chicago.” Radar Online reports that Nicki (born Onika Maraj) is requesting that Tanaka’s suit be dismissed.
Court documents filed on
Minaj’s behalf state that she did not infringe on the performer’s
copyright because the “Starships” composition and recordings are
“original works of authorship.” The docs go on to say that Minaj never
met Tanaka or heard the song “Neu Chicago.”
Minaj points out that
she received the “demo” of “Starships” from producer Red One and then
added her own lyrics. Red One (Nadir Khayat) and songwriters Carl Falk,
Wayne Hector, and Rami Yacoub are also named as defendants in Tanaka’s
suit.
Tanaka believes that
Falk, Hector, and Yacoub heard “Neu Chicago” in their home nation of
Sweden. The song apparently received significant airplay as part
of television ads in the country. In her response, Minaj acknowledges
that the original demo for “Starships” was created in Sweden by Falk,
Hector, and Yacoub, and then sent to Red One in 2011.
Minaj also argues that
Tanaka released “Neu Chicago” in 2010 but did not register the song
until three years later. This was after she released “Starships” in
2012. The Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded creator is also requesting that the case be moved from Illinois to California where she lives and works.
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