Legendary hip-hop producer Pete Rock claims he hasn’t been paid royalties for his work on Nas’ 1994 debut Illmatic.
Hip Hop can never shake the ongoing trend of unpaid royalties, and it looks like Nas is about to be in the middle of a battle with a legendary producer. Nas’ debut Illmatic was an instant classic, and album contributor Pete Rock says he hasn’t been paid for its success. According to Page Six, Pete Rock intends to sue Nas for not paying him for his contributions to this album.
According to Pete Rock and his attorneys, Nas signed a contract stating that the producer would receive a percentage of the profits from the famous track “The World Is Yours.” The amount owed is reportedly in the millions of dollars, and despite reaching out to Nas and his staff, there was no answer. As a result, Rock and his legal team are preparing to sue Nas later this month.
“Nas and his people have stonewalled me since 1994, My New Year’s resolution is to be compensated for my hard work on Illmatic.”, Pete Rock told Page Six.
“The World Is Yours” was one of three songs on the album to be accompanied by a music video and was the only single on the album to reach gold certification. It has also been sampled and referenced in rap songs multiple times and utilized in advertising and films.
Nas’ reps have yet to respond to Pete Rock’s accusation.