Two rappers are claiming Snoop Dogg's 'Ain't No Fun' is a ripoff
Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Warren G, Suge Knight and Kurupt are all being sued by two rappers who claim that "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)," off 1993's Doggystyle, is a ripoff.
In a lawsuit filed on Thursday claiming copyright and fraud, Craig Ward and Antonio White say that the now-famous hook originally appeared on their own song called "Ain't No Fun," which was intended to appear on their album Volume 1 — Out to Get a Grip.
Their version of "Ain't No Fun" was never released, but the lawsuit alleges that it features the same hook that's repeated throughout the Snoop track: "Ain't no fun, it ain't no fun if the homies can't have none."
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"The hook/chorus that is central to both works is an example of fragmented literal similarity because Defendants copied that portion of Plaintiffs’ work exactly, while not copying all portions of the work," the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit alleges that in 1992 Ward and White played "Ain't No Fun" for Knight, then CEO of Death Row Records, and that Snoop, Dr. Dre and Kurupt were present.
Later, they turned over all the masters for Volume 1 — Out to Get a Grip over to Knight, but the lawsuit alleges that Knight agreed to promote Ward's career and eventually sign him to Death Row. "For a decade or more Mr. Knight invited Craig Ward to parties, award shows, and events at Death Row Records, always holding out the hope that Craig Ward would get the help he needed for his career to take off," the lawsuit reads.
White and Ward allege that Knight misled them on purpose and "Knight never intended to sign or promote either Craig Ward or Antonio White, or their respective companies, or to give either of them credit for the song at issue."
The lawsuit comes months after Led Zeppelin were victorious in a trial with Spirit's Mark Andes, who alleged that they ripped off the opening riff of the rock classic "Stairway to Heaven."
Attorneys for Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Suge Knight have not responded to Mashable's request for comment.
Topics Music
