Pioneering hip hop crew 2 Live Crew has regained control of their music catalog after a jury ruled in their favor against a small record label that had owned the rights for decades.
The verdict, delivered by a Florida federal jury on Wednesday (October 16, 2024), allows Uncle Luke (Luther Campbell) and the heirs of Fresh Kid Ice (Christopher Wong Won) and Brother Marquis (Mark Ross) to invoke copyright law’s “termination right.” This provision enables artists to reclaim ownership of their work after a certain period, even if they had previously sold the rights.
Lil Joe Records, the label that acquired 2 Live Crew’s catalog in the 1990s during a bankruptcy sale, had argued that the termination right didn’t apply. However, the jury sided with 2 Live Crew, declaring that the members were legally entitled to regain control of their music, including their controversial 1989 album As Nasty as They Wanna Be, which reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200 and earned platinum certification.
Scott Alan Burroughs, attorney for 2 Live Crew, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating: “We are extremely pleased to have presented our case and see justice served. This is an overwhelming victory for our clients and artists everywhere.”
Burroughs is also involved in another high profile case regarding to copyrights of dancehall pioneers Steely an Clevie over the claims of rights for 1800 reggaeton songs.
In anticipation of his case, set to begin trial next may, manager to Clevie, Danny Pepperseed told WMV on Friday, “Its not my case, but I’m happy for 2 Live Crew and happy that Scott managed to win this case for
them. If you check the entire story it really feels like justice has been served here.”
On the other hand, Richard Wolfe, lead counsel for Lil Joe Records, vowed to appeal the decision, indicating that the case raised unprecedented legal questions about the intersection of bankruptcy law and copyright termination rights. He suggested the matter could potentially reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
2 Live Crew’s lawsuit which started in 2020, was triggered when Campbell, who is of Jamaican heritage and the other members notified Lil Joe that they planned to terminate their agreement and reclaim the rights to their music. When negotiations failed, Lil Joe sued the group in federal court, arguing that the bankruptcy sale had granted the label clear ownership of the catalog. They also claimed that the albums were “works for hire,” meaning the label had always owned the copyrights.
However, 2 Live Crew’s legal team countered, accusing Joe Weinberger, the owner of Lil Joe Records, of betrayal, claiming he took advantage of the group’s bankruptcy to purchase their catalog at a low price. They described the situation as a “tale of deceit and dishonesty.”
