Lil Wayne Settles Lawsuits, Reportedly Free to Release Tha Carter V
Lil Wayne has settled two long-running lawsuits, TheBlast reports and Pitchfork can confirm. The first was Wayne and Young Money’s breach of contract suit against Cash Money, Birdman and his brother Ronald “Slim” Williams, UMG Recordings, Inc., and Universal Music Group, Inc. The first documents in the suit were filed back in May 2015, and a notice for dismissal was filed on May 23, 2018 and obtained by Pitchfork. According to The Blast, Universal paid “well over $10 million” to settle the suit. In addition, Universal will reportedly release Wayne’s long-delayed Tha Carter V. His deal with Cash Money is allegedly “done” too, The Blast reports.
Lil Wayne’s second settlement was in a suit against Universal Music Group, Inc. and SoundExchange, Inc., originally filed in March 2016. Wayne had sought at least $40 million in damages, claiming that Universal has withheld profits he’s earned from the Young Money artists—such as Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga—whom he’s discovered. (Young Money is an imprint of the Cash Money label, which Universal distributes.) The notice of dismissal, filed on May 25 and obtained by Pitchfork, does not indicate a monetary settlement amount beyond each side agreeing to “bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees.”
Pitchfork has contacted representatives and lawyers for Lil Wayne and Birdman.
Along with the legal battles, Lil Wayne and Birdman have publicly feuded often since December 2014 when Wayne claimed he was a “prisoner,” being forced to stay on Cash Money. The saga has involved a shooting, disstracks, temporary truces, and suggestions of retirement from Wayne. In January 2017, Birdman also insisted that Tha Carter V is “definitely coming out.” Months later, somehow, disgraced ex-pharma CEO Martin Shkreli got involved, with the federal government asking him to relinquish a copy of Tha Carter V that he claimed to own.
Read “Lil Wayne’s Long Road to Tha Carter V” on the Pitch.
