Nicki Minaj Hit with $240M Lawsuit Over Alleged "Rich Sex" Copyright Theft
Rapper Brinx Billions (Jawara Headley) has filed a $240 million lawsuit against Nicki Minaj and several record labels, claiming unauthorized use of his song "Rich Sex" and unpaid royalties for "I Endorse These Strippers."
Nicki Minaj wearing blonde wig
The lawsuit, filed in New York federal court, alleges that Headley created "Rich Sex" in 2016 and shared it with Minaj, whom he met on MySpace in 2007. According to the filing, Minaj released the track in 2018 without permission, using 95-99% of Headley's original work.
The legal complaint also addresses unpaid royalties for "I Endorse These Strippers," where Headley claims he was promised 15% of all revenue but stopped receiving payments in 2017, despite Minaj allegedly acknowledging the debt.
Key points of the lawsuit:
- $200 million sought in damages from all defendants
- Additional $40 million sought from Minaj/Tokyo Ninja on four counts
- Defendants include Universal Music Group, Republic Records, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Tokyo Ninja
- Copyright registration (PA0002241281) dates creation to 2016
Tracy Chapman performing with acoustic guitar
Nicki Minaj wearing blonde hair
Minaj has not publicly commented on the lawsuit. This legal challenge follows a previous copyright case involving her track "Sorry," which sampled Tracy Chapman's "Baby Can I Hold You" and was determined to be protected under fair use by a federal judge in September 2020.
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