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Two aging songwriters are taking some of Hip-Hop’s biggest names to court over a decades-old composition they say got stolen and turned into massive hits without a dime going their way.
Snoop Dogg, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Nelly, and the estate of The Notorious B.I.G. are now defendants in a copyright lawsuit filed by David Bravo, 73, and Jean Albert Renaud, 84, who claim their 1980 funk track “Skatin’” became the backbone of two early 2000s chart-toppers that made millions while they watched from the sidelines.
“For the past 45 years, Mr. Bravo has worked tirelessly as a self-employed, independent musician, scraping together a living by playing weddings, local venues, and occasional short tours with artists such as Bo Diddley, Jack Bruce, and Harry Belafonte. Today, Mr. Bravo suffers from severe arthritis in his dominant hand, which significantly impairs his ability to play the keyboard and earn an income.
“The unauthorized exploitation of his work, and the denial of his rightful songwriter credit on a massive international hit lik ‘’Nasty Girl,’ robbed him of crucial career-advancing opportunities and the financial security he desperately needs in his later years,” Bravo’s lawyer, Adwar Ivko, said.
Bravo and Renaud say they co-wrote and produced “Skatin’” with Brazilian musician Eumir Deodato, and that Angie Stone’s 2004 smash “I Wanna Thank Ya” featuring Snoop and the 2005 Biggie posthumous track “Nasty Girl” featuring Diddy and Nelly both lifted the harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic foundation without permission or compensation.
“I Wanna Thank Ya” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart while “Nasty Girl” peaked at No. 44 on the Hot 100, generating serious revenue for everyone involved except the men who created the original material. According to Yahoo, musicologist Thomas Z. Shepard backed up their claims with expert analysis.
The real kicker is that Bravo and Renaud didn’t even discover the alleged theft until 2024, years after both songs had already made their money and faded from rotation.
“Despite co-creating a significantly valuable musical composition, Mr. White lives frugally on a very low Social Security income with no savings or assets. His daily life is a financial struggle, and he relies entirely on veteran support. Furthermore, Mr. White suffers from severe, daily mobility issues resulting from an accident that left his leg permanently reconstructed with metal hardware. He lacks the resources to fight this battle alone and relies on Mr. Bravo to advance the legal and expert fees out-of-pocket just to bring this action,” Ivko added.
They’re not just suing the artists and labels, either. They’ve also gone after Sony Music Publishing, accusing the company of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty for allegedly turning a blind eye to the unauthorized sampling.
The lawsuit states that Sony “deliberately turned a blind eye to the unauthorized use of Plaintiffs’ four-bar foundational backing track” and that the publisher previously told them “Nasty Girl” presented a conflict of interest because of existing relationships with other songwriters on the track.
What makes this case particularly brutal is the timing. These men are in their seventies and eighties, and they’re fighting to get what they say they’re owed from work they did when Hip-Hop was still finding its voice.
The defendants also include Jazze Pha and the estates of Angie Stone, as well as various labels and music companies associated with the recordings.
Snoop and Diddy have built empires on the backs of samples and interpolations, but this time they’re facing a reckoning from the original creators who got left behind.
