Rita Ora is suing Jay Z's Roc Nation.
Rita ora
The 25-year-old singer signed to the record label in 2008 but has only released one album since then, and says the company's change in direction led to her being forgotten about.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles on Thursday (17.12.15), states: "When Rita signed, Roc Nation and its senior executives were very involved with her as an artist. As Roc Nation's interests diversified, there were fewer resources available and the company suffered a revolving door of executives. Rita's remaining supporters at the label left or moved on to other activities, to the point where she no longer had a relationship with anyone at the company."
The paperwork continues to call Roc Nation a "diminished" record label with "only a handful of admittedly worthy heritage superstar artists."
In an attempt to break her contract, Rita is citing Labour Code §2855, known colloquially as the 'Seven Year Rule'.
The code was successfully used by actress Olivia De Haviland in 1944 when she filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros, setting a precedent for future cases in the showbiz industry.
Rita's attorney Howard King said he hopes the judge can see that the same circumstances as Olivia's case can be applied to Rita.
The complaint continues: "Rita's relationship with Roc Nation is irrevocably damaged.
"Fortunately for Rita, the California legislature had the foresight to protect its artists from the sorts of vicissitudes she's experienced with Roc Nation."