Kanye West and Jay-Z have added five more dates to their blockbuster “Watch the Throne” concert tour, including two more shows in New York City, one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles. The tour begins Friday, October 28th in Atlanta.
In other “Throne” news, T.I. has released his remix of “N***** in Paris”, a track off the LP, which you can listen to below:
In the “bad news” department, it was also reported earlier today that West and Jay-Z are also being sued by singer/songwriter Syl Johnson – a minor soul and R&B star in the 1960s and ’70s – who has brought a lawsuit against the duo for what he claims is the illegal use of a sample from his 1970 song “Different Strokes”. The sample is featured on “The Joy”, a bonus track included on the deluxe edition of the “Watch the Throne” LP.
According to Johnson’s lawsuit, West asked permission to lift the sample back when he was recording his last solo LP “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – for which “The Joy” was initially intended – but his request was denied. Of course, “The Joy” later ended up on the “Throne” collaboration. The defendants, including Island Def Jam, Universal Music Group and Jay-Z’s Roc-a-Fella Records, claim they received the proper authorization. Johnson is seeking actual and punitive damages in the case.
Johnson has previously sued other acts for alleged illegal lifting of samples from his music, including Cypress Hill for their use of his “Is It Because I’m Black” on the song “Lock Down (Interlude)”, featured on the rap group’s 1993 album “Black Sunday”.The case was finally dismissed by a judge in 2008.