Madlib is a legend. You'd be hard-pressed to make a list of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time without writing down his name. He's no slouch in the rapping department, either but he prefers to use the name "Lord Quas," or "Quasimoto," when he grabs the mic. Well, he did. Madlib is currently involved in a legal battle that could see him lose the rights to the "Lord Quas" character. This would mean he not only has to relinquish the name, but the yellow cartoon that has served as his de facto logo. The one that fans have come to know and love on beloved albums like Yessir, Whatever and Bandana.
The man suing Madlib is Keith Griego, who created the "Lord Quas" character for the producer's 1999 single "Microphone Mathematics." Madlib continued to use the character and the cartoon depiction of him, however, without reportedly compensating Griego properly.
Ethan Jacobs, Griego's attorney, put out a statement detailing his client's grievances. "Mr. Griego was gratified to see that Madlib appreciated his Lord Quas character so much," he wrote. "At the same time, he was hurt that [Madlib] continued to use it without compensation, attribution, or permission." The artist said his attempts to work out a deal with the producer's legal reps never went anywhere.
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Keith Griego Is Seeking Compensation From Madlib
Griego seeks compensation for the two decades in which Madlib used his creation. "Mr. Griego brings this action to seek compensation," the suit explains. "For Defendants’ intentional copyright infringement and to obtain an injunction against their further infringement of his copyright." Furthermore, he wants to file an injunction to keep the producer from further "misuse" of the character. He also asked the federal trademark obtained by Madlib Invazion, LLC be invalidated due to the fact that it was not permitted at the time of its registration.
Madlib told Rolling Stone that "Lord Quas" came about during a drug trip. He noted that the specificity of the character, and his musical persona, was what made it difficult to revive him for the comeback album Yessir, Whatever. "It takes time. It has to be on a different level," he noted. "The shrooms were the stuff that made me do Quasimoto in the first place. Hopefully, I get back on that level." Madlib announced plans for another "Lord Quas" album in 2016, but nearly a decade has passed and it is nowhere to be found. It's safe to assume Madlib's legal complications have played a role in the album's delay.
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