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Money makes the world go ’round. Legendary producer Pete Rock is reportedly considering a lawsuit against Nas over allegedly unpaid royalties from the rapper’s classic debut album, Illmatic.
Pete Rock reportedly told Page Six that he’s never received a dime in royalties from his work on Illmatic, which was released in 1994. The Mt. Vernon producer and rapper produced only one track on the project, but “The World Is Yours” proved to be one of the album’s standout joints and singles.
However, Rock and his lawyers say they cut a deal with Nas that would net him millions in royalties, which he has yet to ever see. Despite alleged pleas to honor the deal, nothing has manifested, per Rock and his legal team.
“Nas and his people have stonewalled me since 1994; My New Year’s resolution is to be compensated for my hard work on ‘Illmatic’,” rock told Page Six. To the iconic producer’s credit, not only is “The Worlds Is Yours” the only single to go gold on Illmatic but he also performs the tune’s hook. Rock is credited as a writer on the song, which liberally samples Ahmad Jamal Trio “I Love Music,” among other chops.
Maybe the publicity will help these two legends work things out, behind the scenes, and get Pete Rock any dough he’s deservedly due. Or Columbia/Sony can do some explaining when it comes to the accounting?
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