The Game
Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA had no choice but to threaten legal action against The Game over a song on his new mixtape, because the track had been offered to other artists by the time the Dreams hitmaker decided to use it.
Lawyers representing RZA, real name Robert Diggs, fired off a cease-and-desist letter to The Game demanding he remove the tune Heartbreaker from his Purp & Patron mixtape.
The song was originally intended for The Game's R.E.D. album, but the pair was unable to clear a sample used on the production in time for the project's release. Instead, it was included on Purp & Patron without RZA's knowledge, prompting his legal team to take action.
The Game recently hit out at the move, telling HipHopDX.com, "He came to the studio and brought the track to me. He's like, 'Yo Game, this is for you. You can have that.' Those are his words... So I threw it out (on a mixtape). The next thing I know RZA is suing The Game. That s**t's crazy."
But RZA has defended his actions, insisting the legalities were necessary to protect himself from accusations of double selling the beat, as The Game had failed to officially notify the producer of his intentions to use it.
In a statement, RZA says, "The issue boils down to we wanted to get the song on the album that was coming out for Game at the time... The issue came about when it did not make it to the album because there was not enough time to clear the track. We spoke with (label representative) Tony Martin, who informed us that the track would not be used and if it was, we would be notified. Now, that being said, they put it on a mixtape and never said anything to us; and we got an offer to have the track purchased by someone else.
"So this is not anything personal, and RZA has nothing but love for Game, but this is business and, in all fairness, it would have been cool if they would have just let us know what the intent was, because we began soliciting the track for purchase and it looks like this was a double sale issue when it wasn't."
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