Ever since Brooklyn rap sensation Pop Smoke was tragically murdered, his Shoot For the Stars, Aim For The Moon debut album has taken over the radio waves and topped charts unlike any other artist of the era. On the album, a journalist’s interview made the album’s cut, but it was used without her permission and she is now suing the label for damages.
Victoria Inoyo, the journalist’s interview that appeared on the outro of Pop Smoke’s LP, is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages, a percentage of the album’s royalties and her writer’s credit on the album. The label reportedly offered Inoyo $1 compensation to use her interview on the album, but she declined and an agreement was never reached. Her voice made the album anyway and now, the lawsuit is pending.
Inoyo’s lawyer gave a statement saying, “The label knew that it did not have Ms. Inoyo’s permission to use the interview; yet, rather than negotiate with Ms. Inoyo in good-faith in order to obtain her permission to use the interview, the label inexcusably and unjustifiably used the interview and released the album and the song for commercial distribution in violation of, among other things, Ms. Inoyo’s copyrights and her intellectual property.”
TheSource.com will bring more updates to this story as it develops.