Nicki Minaj's unfortunate (and recently undeserved, in one case) legal troubles has now extended into the musical realm. Moreover, according to TMZ, a producer sued the rap star for allegedly stealing the beat for a track off of 2014's The Pinkprint, "I Lied." Not only that, but sources reportedly close to Nicki stated that she had no hand in the production, which means that Mike Will Made It must address the claims. Of course, he also got a mention on producer Julius Johnson's lawsuit against the New York native. Both tracks are linked down below if you're curious enough to determine their similarities for yourself.
Furthermore, Johnson's story is that he made the beat "onmysleeve" and released it in September of 2011, three years before Nicki Minaj's "I Lied" came out. In addition, TMZ's report using alleged legal documents states more details as to Johnson's case. For example, he claimed he had the instrumental on a hard drive while attending the Art Institute of Atlanta. Apparently, someone stole the artist's drive without his permission during a studio session two years later in 2013. It seems like this is the incident that convinced Johnson that this was a steal and not mere coincidence.
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Nicki Minaj & Julius Johnson's Tracks
Regardless, one of Johnson's most crucial claims is that associates of Nicki Minaj and Mike Will Made It were at the Institute around the time someone stole the hard drive. However, one question readers may have is why this issue came up almost ten years after Minaj released "I Lied." Johnson stated that he only came around to listening to it in 2022, and drew the connection right then and there. Now, the producer wants the profits that the other parties made from the song and is reportedly seeking a court order to either force them to take it down or give him credit and royalties for his contributions. In TMZ's report, they mention that a representative for the 40-year-old MC had no comment.
Meanwhile, this lawsuit is still in very early stages, so it's hard to say how it will pan out. In other news, fans hope that Young Thug and Minaj's back-and-forth online will result in a new collaboration soon. Given her upcoming album, we're sure to hear more of her music soon. Still, hopefully this dispute concerning her previous material sees a swift and amicable resolution if the allegations are true. For more news and the latest updates on Nicki Minaj, keep checking in with HNHH.
