In 2014, Nicki Minaj released her third studio album The Pinkprint, which went on to debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified 2x platinum. However, nearly nine years after the album’s roaring success, its second song “I Lied” is now facing a bit of controversy.
Videos by American Songwriter
This week, a lesser-known singer named Julius Johnson filed a lawsuit against Minaj and the producer of “I Lied” Mike Will Made-It. In the suit, Johnson claims the two infringed on his copyright for the “I Lied” beat, which was originally made in 2011.
Johnson used the beat to release his song “onmysleeve” that same year but further explained that his hard drive with the beat on it was misplaced in 2013 at the Art Institute of Atlanta. Johnson continued by insisting that associates of Minaj and Mike Will visited the Institute around the same, and he believes they are the ones who snatched the hard drive. Johnson would not hear “I Lied” until 2022, but knew immediately that the instrumental was a close replica of “onmysleeve.”
Upon learning about the suit, TMZ reached out to a source close to Minaj, who asserted that the rapper should not be involved in the case considering she is solely a vocalist.
“Clearly Nicki is a lyricist, so the claim in terms of production will obviously have to be addressed by the applicable parties,” TMZ’s insider said.
In the suit, Johnson is seeking all of the profits made from “I Lied.” If not, he wishes to be credited on the song, or for the song to not be performed by Minaj or Mike Will anymore. Minaj’s team has yet to directly respond to the lawsuit, TMZ confirms.
However, Minaj is currently in the middle of crafting her fifth studio album, set to be released this fall. Additionally, she is preparing for an upcoming tour, as well as working on setting up her brand new record label. So, needless to say, the 40-year-old icon has a lot on her plate at the moment.
Compare Minaj’s “I Lied” with Johnson’s “onmysleeve” below.
Photo by Karwai Tang/Getty Images
