Hip-hop star Nicki Minaj is facing a lawsuit from musician Clive Tanaka over allegations she copied one of his songs to create her mega-hit Starships. Reclusive electro star Tanaka filed suit against Minaj at U.S. District Court in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday (10Sep13) claiming she used portions of his 2011 track Neu Chicago.
The copyright infringement lawsuit also names Starships producer RedOne, as well as three other writers, according to the Chicago Tribune. Tanaka previously posted a mash-up of the two songs online so fans could hear the alleged similarities between the tracks.
His lawyer, Christopher Niro, says, "We believe they are similar to the point that it is nearly impossible for it to be a coincidence."
In the lawsuit, Tanaka insists his song received substantial airplay both in the U.S. and in Europe and his attorney adds, "They (the defendants) had a very good opportunity to hear it." A representative for Minaj has yet to comment. Starships was released last year (12) and became a huge chart hit across the world.
