Quincy Jones sues Michael Jackson's estate over royalties

The Associated Press Posted: Oct 26, 2013 5:49 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 26, 2013 5:49 AM ET

Quincy Jones sued Michael Jackson's estate claiming he is owed millions in royalties and production fees on some of the superstar's greatest hits.

Jones' lawsuit Friday seeks at least $10 million from the singer's estate and Sony Music Entertainment, claiming the entities improperly re-edited songs to deprive him of royalties and production fees. The music has been used in the film "This Is It" and a pair of Cirque du Soleil shows based on the King of Pop's songs, the lawsuit states.

Pop superstar Michael Jackson worked with Quincy Jones on three of his most popular solo albums, Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. (Rusty Kennedy/Associated Press)

Jones also claims that he should have received a producer's credit on the music in "This Is It." His lawsuit seeks an accounting of the estate's profits from the works so that Jones can determine how much he is owed.

The producer worked with Jackson on three of his most popular solo albums, "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad."

Jackson's estate wrote in a statement that it was saddened by Jones' lawsuit. "To the best of its knowledge, Mr. Jones has been appropriately compensated over approximately 35 years for his work with Michael," the statement said.

An after-hours message left at Sony Music's New York offices was not immediately returned.

Jackson's hits "Billie Jean," "Thriller" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" are among the songs Jones claims were re-edited to deprive him of royalties and his producer's fee.

Jones' lawsuit states the producer's contracts called for him to have the first opportunity to re-edit or alter the songs, in part to protect his reputation.

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Eminem's Rap God sparks outcry over homophobic slurs

CBC News Posted: Oct 23, 2013 12:45 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 23, 2013 12:45 PM ET

Veteran rapper Eminem has once again sparked controversy with his music, blasted by fellow artists and music critics for homophobic slurs in his new single, Rap God.

Delivered as Eminem's dark performance alter-ego Slim Shady, Rap God features violent, bravado lyrics that taunt his rivals in the aggressive style for which the Grammy Award-winning Detroit rapper is known. 

At issue is his insulting use of the words "gay" and "f-ggot" throughout several sections of the track. 

A host of music critics and media outlets praised the song (which emerged last week in advance of his upcoming album The Marshall Mathers LP 2), but many have also blasted the rapper for the language, which has been criticized as being homophobic. 

'He's using the word f-ggot to degrade another man. As if the worst thing a man can be is gay. What type of message does that embed into the minds of young kids, both gay and straight?'- Hip hop singer Solomon

British singer and DJ Boy George and LGBT rights groups are among those who have criticized Eminem for this latest release, calling it a return to outdated views and past offensive music.

The chorus of criticism was joined most recently by rapper LastO and singer-songwriter Solomon, two of the openly gay hip hop recording artists featured in a month-long series on Eminem's satellite radio channel in 2008.

"When he invited me on his radio station a few years ago, I thought he put all of this aside," Solomon said in a statement.

"Granted, it's not directed towards the gay community, but subconsciously it is. He's using the word f-ggot to degrade another man. As if the worst thing a man can be is gay. What type of message does that embed into the minds of young kids, both gay and straight?"

The controversy over Rap God arrives after the rapper's repeated declarations that he has "nothing against gays" (including in a 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper in 2010) and his high-profile Grammy Awards  performance alongside Elton John in 2001. Eminem has not commented publicly about the reaction to the song.

Acceptance of LGBT artists in the hip hop community has been an increasingly prominent issue over the past year, in part tied to rising hip hop singer Frank Ocean's 2012 revelation about falling in love with a man and exemplified in this summer's hit Macklemore and Ryan Lewis marriage-equality track Same Love. 

"As irreverent and offensive as [Eminem's] brand is supposed to be ... he still knows his line," LastO said in a statement.

"It's ironic because I'm sure when he was coming of age, more black folks walked over him...than anyone gay ever did."

Battling Boy reinvents comic book superheroes for younger readers by Jonathan Ore Oct. 25, 2013 8:09 PM With his latest work, comic book veteran Paul Pope has created a template-smashing new kind of superhero: Battling Boy, a kid (admittedly the offspring of gods) who sets out to protect other kids. "The thing that's attractive about kids as characters is that, if anything, they represent potential," he tells CBC News.Let Franz Ferdinand kick up your Friday Oct. 25, 2013 5:45 PM We've got live performance throughout the show from Franz Ferdinand, the Scottish band whose single Do You Want To sent them to the top of the charts internationally. Who Said It Quiz: Stephen King or Justin Bieber? Oct. 25, 2013 3:08 PM One of them pens tales of terror. One of them croons to shrieking girls. But they have more in common than you might think. So in honour of Stephen King's newest book, Doctor Sleep, a long-awaited follow-up to the terrifying 1977 novel The Shining, we give you our latest Who Said It Quiz: King or Bieber?

View the original article here