Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) faces a copyright infringement lawsuit from Tuff City Records over Mary J. Blige's 1992 hit 'Real Love,' which allegedly contains an unlicensed sample from the Honey Drippers' 1973 funk song "Impeach the President."

Photo Credit: Condé Nast / Vogue Taiwan / CC by 3.0

Key Details of the Lawsuit:

• Filed on April 4 in Manhattan federal court
• Mary J. Blige is not named as a defendant
• UMG Recordings has already reached an agreement for the master recording
• UMPG has not secured rights for the song's underlying composition
• Tuff City claims UMPG has ignored repeated notices about the uncleared sample

Background on "Impeach the President":

• Released in 1973 by the Honey Drippers
• Features a widely sampled drum break used by artists like 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Run-DMC, and Doja Cat
• Previous subject of legal action by Tuff City in 1991 against Sony Music and Def Jam

Tuff City Records' Legal History:

• Known for filing numerous copyright lawsuits over unlicensed samples
• Previous cases against Jay-Z, Christina Aguilera, Beastie Boys, and Frank Ocean
• Lost a notable case against Beastie Boys in 2018, ordered to repay legal fees
• 1991 lawsuit over "Impeach the President" was one of the first major sampling cases in hip-hop

The current case highlights ongoing challenges in music sampling clearance and copyright enforcement in the music industry, particularly between publishers and rights holders.

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