Grammy-nominated rasta crooner Jah Cure is asking fans not to buy newly-released album called “Masterpiece”. According to Cure, the album released by reggae producer Kemar “Flava” McGregor is a “fake” and is threatening a lawsuit. Cure took to social media to alert his fans via Instagram. However, the IG post and, in fact, ALL of Jah Cure’s Instagram posts have mysteriously vanished!
In an interview with Jamaica Star, Jah Cure had this to say:
“I just want to let the world know that the album is a fake,” he said. “The songs on it are from me, but Flava had no right to use them. Those were songs I recorded years ago and they are just demos, I didn’t record for him officially. He was supposed to finalise business with me regarding the songs, but didn’t. I didn’t get paid for them and he doesn’t have a contract or any legal paperwork to use them.”
Jah Cure said he and his team are planning to take legal action against the producer if he doesn’t reach out to them to resolve the issue.
“Flava is trying to hustle me by putting out this fake album and promote it. I have reached out to my publisher to reach out to him and let him know that we are going to put an injunction on it (the album) if he doesn’t take it down.”
Needless to say McGregor has a totally different viewpoint! Here’s what McGregor has to say in response to Jah Cure’s allegations that the LP was “fake,” and to the singer’s urging of fans not to buy the album.
Kemar “Flava” McGregor
“Jah Cure has [implied] in the media that I do not have the rights to release the songs I produced with him,” McGregor said. “Jah Cure, I paid you to record these songs, and all these songs are copywritten in the [U.S.] Library of Congress. If you don’t withdraw your statement and continue to tarnish my reputation, I will file defamation of character and slander charges against you in the United States.”
McGregor has produced several songs with Jah Cure, and recently released re-mastered versions of the songs from the recording sessions as an LP, titled “Masterpiece.” According to Jah Cure, the two never finalized the details of the recording.
McGregor claims that he owns the master recordings of the songs on the LP, which gives him full rights to re-release the material as a new production. McGregor also stated that he has registered the songs in the United States Library of Congress.
Here’s another interesting tidbit, McGregor said he was told “off-the-record” by a Jamaican music-industry official, whose name McGregor has withheld, that the controversy was launched by a well-known, New-York based reggae label that recently was involved in a copyright dispute with McGregor (the company name may rhyme with oil company titan BP).
McGregor believes the New York-based label is retaliating against McGregor by influencing Jah Cure to interfere with his efforts to retail the “Masterpiece” LP.
“Every time these artists come out with such allegations, I know it is [the New York-based reggae label] advising them to do it, because I cut all ties with [the label], and I have stopped licensing my music to them,” McGregor said. “These songs have been out for years. This is not a new release. My company has full rights to release the record, and we have accounted Jah Cure’s royalties to his publisher, Susan Deleon, from Real Reggae Music Publishing. I have proof for all these statements that were accounted to her.”
Story developing…
RCS Sidebar: Looks like Jah Cure may finally be getting a visa to the USA and thus possibly attend Grammys! Cure posted a picture of a very snazzy tuxedo on his Twitter page asking his fans “Grammys?”. The 2016 GRAMMY Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, February 15, 2016 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. I hope we see Jah Cure in the building.
