Jermaine Dupri Says Ciara's Latest Single 'I Bet' Is a Rip-Off of Usher's 'U Got It Bad' [Listen]
Following the "Blurred Lines" copyright infringement lawsuit and the $7.4 million payout, Grammy award-winning producer Jermaine Dupri is now concerned about the fine line between inspiration and plagiarism.
A Los Angeles jury recently determined that Robin Thicke's Pharrell Williams-produced 2013 smash copied Marvin Gaye's 1997 hit "Got to Give It Up."
In his interview with the Associated Press, Dupri, the man behind the musical successes of R&B stars Mariah Carey and Usher, explained why he understands both sides of the verdict.
"Younger producers like myself and Pharrell, we make records that are influenced by other records that are out there," he said. "That's how hip-hop has always been created -- it has some kind of element of something [from] the past. Or sometimes we just take the entire sample and we give the artist the credit for that sample."
"We've all been in a position where it could go like this or we can give the producer the credit," he continued.
The North Carolina hitmaker then used the latest single off Ciara's upcoming sixth studio album "Jackie," titled "I Bet," as an example -- he claimed that it contains similar elements of Usher's 2001 hit "U Got It Bad," which he is credited as a co-producer.
"Ciara's new single is a complete rip-off of Usher's 'U Got It Bad,'" he said. "I'm clear on what I made and I'm clear on how music influences people and I'm clear on chord changes and how people move things... It might not be as evident as the 'Blurred Lines' situation, but I believe the same thing happened to me."
With that being said, Dupri plans to contact Ciara and the producers of "I Bet" to ask if he, Usher and co-producer Bryan-Michael Cox could be properly credited.
Compare Ciara's "I Bet" and Usher's "Got It Bad" below.
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