Although Will.I.Am has refuted any claims that he stole a sample to create his track "Let's Go," featuring R&B crooner Chris Brown, the rights owner has released a statement insisting their work was ripped off. Production house Anjunabeats, the imprint behind producers Arty and Mat Zo, says parts of the song was taken from their original work "Rebound" without permission.
The statement reads:
Anjunabeats is the record label behind Arty and Mat Zo and owns the master recording rights to their collaboration “Rebound.” Mat Zo and Arty have been important members of the Anjunabeats family for a number of years and “Rebound” was one of the label’s most popular releases in 2011.
As has been widely reported, a large section of “Rebound” was sampled onWill.i.am‘s track “Let’s Go featuring Chris Brown” and this took place without the permission of Anjunabeats or Arty & Mat Zo.
Although Arty (but not Mat Zo) was credited in the sleeve notes, this is not the same as obtaining permission. To present someone else’s work as your own, you need to seek permission, agree terms and file paperwork, which has not happened in this case.
We’ve remained silent on this issue until now but as a record label it is our obligation to protect our artists’ interests and we felt it was necessary to respond to some of the inaccuracies that have been reported following Will.i.am‘s recent comments to Associated Press.
Will.I.Am previously stated, “If you look on the album, there is credit. You can’t steal if you credit someone.”
It’s been a tumultuous week for Anjunabeats, the record label owned by Above & Beyond. In an unprecedented move, they released a statement about Will.I.Am allegedly stealing samples from one of their artists without permission. It was met with mixed reactions from both fans and industry insiders alike.
The controversy began when it was discovered that Will.I.Am had sampled music from Lane 8’s single “No Captain.” Fans were outraged to learn he hadn’t even sought out proper clearance or paid any royalties to the artist or label involved in making the track. This prompted Anjunabeats to issue a stern warning against sample theft, as well as outlining the steps they will take if something similar happens again in the future.
Anjunabeats’ response has made headlines across the world and sparked debate over what constitutes copyright infringement in today’s digital age. So why did Anjunabeats feel so strongly about this case? Is their stance justified? Read on to find out more about this developing story!
Background Information
In recent weeks, the issue of will.i.am’s alleged sampling theft has been heavily discussed in the music industry. The artist is accused of stealing from an Anjunabeats track for his song ‘Let’s Go’, and now Anjunabeats have released a statement about the situation.
The label claims that they contacted will.i.am through their legal team to ask him to stop using samples from their track without permission or due compensation; however, he refused to reply or take any action regarding the matter. This prompted them to release a public statement about it on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, where they expressed disappointment at what had happened and promised to take “appropriate actions” against those responsible for this infringement of copyright laws.
Anjunabeats have also called upon other artists who may be similarly affected by unauthorized sampling to come forward and join them in taking a stand against such activities in order to protect musicians and producers from similar infringements in the future.
Response From Anjunabeats
Anjunabeats released a statement that not only expressed their disappointment regarding will.i.am’s refusal to take action, but also made it clear they intend to take “appropriate actions” against him in order to protect the rights of musicians and producers who have had their works sampled without permission or due compensation.
The label also urged other affected artists to join them in standing up for what is right and working towards protecting future generations from this type of copyright infringement. They stated that while they understand why some may be hesitant about coming forward, it is important for everyone to work together in order to ensure that justice is served.
In light of this situation, Anjunabeats are determined to fight for what’s right so that all creators can continue creating music with peace-of-mind knowing that their works are being respected and protected by law.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s unclear what will happen to Will.i.am after Anjunabeats released a statement about his alleged sampling theft. I think the future of this situation depends on if the evidence presented by Anjunabeats is accurate and if there are any witnesses that can confirm their claims. It would be unfortunate for Will.i.am if he has been accused unfairly, but at the same time it is important to protect artists from having their work stolen or used without permission.
Regardless of how this turns out, we should all remember that stealing music or other artforms isn’t acceptable in any way shape or form and every artist deserves recognition for their hard work and creativity. Music piracy affects everyone involved in making music, including labels, producers, engineers, musicians etc., so it’s crucial that we take these issues seriously and do our best to reduce instances of unauthorized use and copyright infringement as much as possible.
Ultimately, only time will tell what happens with this case involving Will.i.am and Anjunabeats’ allegations of sampling theft, but hopefully justice will prevail no matter the outcome and musical integrity will remain intact moving forward.
Founder and Creator of Singersroom.com and IncredibleWork.com. Follow me on Instagram at @gary.gentles.
