Easy Mo Bee Explains How a Historic Lawsuit Made Him a Better Producer

In 1991 Biz Markie released I Need A Haircut, his third studio album on Cold Chillin’/Warner Bros. Records. Despite a high-profile $1.7 million dollar sample clearance settlement between De La Soul and The Turtles just two years prior, it was still customary to use large pieces of recognizable samples at the time. So when Biz’s label tried to clear a Gilbert O’Sullivan sample for the song “Alone Again” and O’Sullivan rejected the clearance, the label released the song anyway.

This ended up being a costly decision. O’Sullivan sued, and when the trial was over judge Kevin Duffy ruled that Biz owed the Irish singer/songwriter $250,000 in damages. To make matters worse, I Need A Haircut had to be pulled from stores and the case was referred to criminal court. Though many producers continue to sample today, the outcome of the case set a precedent that would forever change sample-based music.

Read the full article via Medium.com.