Bakar's 'Hell N Back' Hit With Copyright Lawsuit Over Unauthorized Sample Use
Bakar's hit song "Hell N Back" faces a significant copyright lawsuit for allegedly unauthorized sampling of a 1967 track. Tuff City Records filed the complaint against Bakar, Resnik Music Group, Sony Music UK, and its Black Butter Records imprint.
Bakar singing with raised hand, smoky background
The lawsuit centers around "I Caught You in a Lie," a 1967 song recorded by Robert Parker and written by Lee Diamond, which Tuff City Records claims full ownership of. According to the plaintiff, "Hell N Back" samples "the entire rhythm track (including all of the bass and drum sounds)" without authorization.
Key points of the lawsuit:
- "Hell N Back" has garnered over 900 million Spotify streams and appeared in Disney's Elemental trailer and American Idol
- Resnik Music Group allegedly made a "false claim of ownership" over the original composition
- Maple Gaines reportedly signed an unauthorized licensing deal with Sony Music UK in 2019
- Sony Music UK has allegedly withheld at least $47,500 in royalties from Tuff City as of 2023
Tuff City Records seeks:
- Copyright infringement damages from Bakar, Sony Music UK, Black Butter, and LVRN
- An injunction to stop further use of the sample
- Declaratory judgment confirming their ownership rights
- Fraud claims against Resnik Music, its owner, and Maple Gaines
Perlmutter legal injunction timeline
The case is currently pending under docket number 1:25-cv-03785, with no immediate resolution in sight. Neither Resnik Music nor other defendants have publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.