Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty
Producer Said French Montana Coopted His Beat For Rapper’s Hit Song
An Illinois producer claims that French Montana straight up stole his beat and used it for the song “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’” when he was still a teenager.
Eddie Lee Richardson aka “Hotwire The Producer,” sued French Montana for copyright infringement and more earlier this month, alleging the rapper used his work without permission or payment.
Richardson said back in 2012 when he was just 16, he made a song called “Hood Pushin’ Weight,” and registered the song with the U.S. Copyright Office. He said he uploaded the song to site SoundClick, a music sharing website and distribution platform.
The plaintiff said French then took the song from the site, and the following year, released “Ain’t Worried About Nothin.’” He said the songs were identical, save for the lyrics and vocals.
The producer believes French banked more than $5 million from the song, and he wants money damages that equal the amount of profit grossed from the single.
It’s not the first time that French Montana has been in hot water over accusations that he stole music. We exclusively revealed that another producer sued him for the very same thing. In 2017 Morocco-born producer Assil Youssef sued him for using his beat for “Lockjaw” (featuring Kodak Black) without his permission. That case was later dismissed.