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[shuri]

Picture: Pop Singer Nicki Minaj in happier days

Nicki Minaj's massive hit "Starships" is full-on deja vu to EDM star Clive Tanaka -- because it sounds pretty damn identical to a song he released a year before Nicki's ... and now he's suing her over it.

"Starships"

Stolen
Coincidence

Tanaka filed a federal suit in Chicago this week against Nicki, 3 writers, and the song's producer -- claiming copyright infringement on his 2011 tune ... "Neu Chicago."

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2013/09/12/nicki-minjaj-starships-lawsuit-clive-tanaka/2/#comments-anchor

Song by Tanaka

Minaj's personal interpretation?

 

[Stet]

Whether she did or not, I thank her for introducing me to this Clive Tanaka guy.

 

[The Faceless Master]

i don't think she arranged or produced the instrumental track. probably has some lyric credits...

is there a direct sample, i don't really hear any, though i do hear a passing similarity.

 

[ComputerMKII]

She has the weirdest nose.

 

[Mobius 1]

Is this some Oompa Loompa that escaped extermination?

 

[NaturalHigh]

Somewhat similar but nowhere near enough to file a lawsuit. lol. dude is reaching.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

To be fair Nicki isn't a music producer.


Both songs suck.

 

[Wilsongt]

Lawsuits were meant to flyyyyyyyyy. Hands up and touch the skyyyyy.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Driver 2 vs Tekken 3 was way closer.

 

[Jay Sosa]

what have you done evillore

 

[Check Mark]

Sounds more like coincidence to me.

 

[codhand]

stop motion animation! yes! ms minaj if you never do anything good again, youve done this

 

[Fenror]

Look guys he should sue Robyn too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cpUkPbodOM

 

[Currygan]

I don't remember Terence Stamp looking so bad in Priscilla

 

[Count Dookkake]

What a mug.

 

[Dead Prince]

She has the weirdest nose.

I have the weirdest nose.

 

[gdt]

Ehhhh, I'd love to say she stole it, but its not an exact rip.

 

[Moze]

Reach

 

[Guevara]

I don't hear it

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

She has the weirdest nose.

She's FAKE.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Look guys he should sue Robyn too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cpUkPbodOM

is that single certified 4x platinum?

 

[firehawk12]

Very, very faint similarities I guess...

 

[The Interrobanger]

LOL at Clive Tanaka being an "EDM Star".

 

[Scofield94941]

one is a happy pop song and this is a creepy song

 

[CharlieDigital]

Whether she did or not, I thank her for introducing me to this Clive Tanaka guy.

I second this motion.

 

[CloudWolf]

That Clive Tanaka song is pretty cool. Don't really hear the similarity to Starships though.

Look guys he should sue Robyn too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cpUkPbodOM

I love this song. That video creeps me out though.

 

[CharlieDigital]

Ehhhh, I'd love to say she stole it, but its not an exact rip.

I don't hear it

Sounds more like coincidence to me.

Very, very faint similarities I guess...

One on the left channel, one on the right channel.

https://soundcloud.com/clivetanaka/neu-starships

They are pretty much the same song.

 

[gdt]

At 1:40 it actually starts to sound similar! 1:40 in the Tanaka vid, I mean.

 

[Fenror]

is that single certified 4x platinum?

Yes.

 

[Derpstar]

Sound like a pretty generic beat to me.

 

[Stet]

One on the left channel, one on the right channel.

https://soundcloud.com/clivetanaka/neu-starships

They are pretty much the same song.

Nice.

Just for reference, these are two songs that were found to have similarity enough to award damages in the past.

The Chiffons - He's So Fine
George Harrison - My Sweet Lord

 

[CloudWolf]

One on the left channel, one on the right channel.

https://soundcloud.com/clivetanaka/neu-starships

They are pretty much the same song.

Let's be real here. What are the chances that RedOne or whoever wrote the music for Starships has even heard of this Clive Tanaka guy? Astronomically small. This reminds me of when some Dutch radio DJ's were calling out Lady Gaga because Born This Way (or another single from that album, not sure) sounded a little bit like a song by the Dutch punk band De Heideroosjes. That obviously went nowhere and so will this. Tanaka is just some no name trying to get in the spotlights by suing a big name artist over a mild similarity.

 

[Check Mark]

One on the left channel, one on the right channel.

https://soundcloud.com/clivetanaka/neu-starships

They are pretty much the same song.

There's no denying it's the same chord progression and similar rhythm, but was it really intentional?

 

[Sol..]

Chillwave oldie right there. The melody is definitely in there but it's such a small piece of that clusterfuck of a song Starships.

 

[The Interrobanger]

Let's be real here. What are the chances that RedOne or whoever wrote the music for Starships has even heard of this Clive Tanaka guy? This reminds me of when some Dutch radio DJ's were calling out Lady Gaga because Born This Way (or another single from that album, not sure) sounded a little bit like a song by the Dutch punk band De Heideroosjes.

Clive had a release with Tall Corn Music which is a sister label/very closely associated with with Friends Of Friends who are very well known and respected in the abstract, instrumental hip-hop, electronic music world. I own this release and it's not something I just stumbled upon either, it had a decent amount of fanfare in the music blog world for a little bit.

I think any producer that makes the rounds to your typical music blogs would have come across Clive Tanaka without much digging.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Driver 2 vs Tekken 3 was way closer.

This is pretty blatant.

Tekkens ost stays godlike

 

[malyce]

wtf? why does she look like missy?

 

[BeerSnob]

At 1:10 it goes from similar to really, really similar.

 

[kitschykitty]

At 1:40 it actually starts to sound similar! 1:40 in the Tanaka vid, I mean.

Yeah I thought it sounded similar at the beginning but at that point and 2:15 it's pretty clear that intentionally or not the songs are pretty close sounding in terms of notes, timing and vocal rhythms

 

[Servbot24]

Whether she did or not, I thank her for introducing me to this Clive Tanaka guy.

He's brilliant, get his record.

And he's plenty popular enough to have been heard by full-time producers.

 

[gdt]

Clive had a release with Tall Corn Music which is a sister label/very closely associated with with Friends Of Friends who are very well known and respected in the abstract, instrumental hip-hop, electronic music world. I own this release and it's not something I just stumbled upon either, it had a decent amount of fanfare in the music blog world for a little bit.

I think any producer that makes the rounds to your typical music blogs would have come across Clive Tanaka without much digging.

I don't own anything of his but I've heard of the guy.

 

[MattKeil]

Nice.

Just for reference, these are two songs that were found to have similarity enough to award damages in the past.

The Chiffons - He's So Fine
George Harrison - My Sweet Lord

Also can't forget:

Huey Lewis & the News - I Want A New Drug
Ray Parker, Jr. - Ghostbusters

Columbia Pictures was later the defendant in a copyright infringement lawsuit, also naming Parker which claimed "Ghostbusters" was too similar in musical structure to "I Want a New Drug," written and performed by Huey Lewis and the News (more specifically, the bass/guitar riff which runs through the song). "I Want a New Drug" was a U.S. top-ten hit earlier the same year and was extremely similar to "Pop Muzik" by M, a project by Robin Scott. The two parties settled out of court. Details of the settlement (specifically, that Columbia Pictures paid Lewis a settlement) were confidential until 2001, when Lewis commented on the payment in an episode of VH1's Behind the Music. Parker subsequently sued Lewis for breaching confidentiality.

 

[Fatalah]

The OP's picture is of Missy Elliott.

On another note, her "M" suit reminds me of the Gmail logo.

 

[agrajag]

her voice is so annoying, how did she get so popular?

 

[wenis]

She has the weirdest nose.

I'd stick my finger up it.

 

[steadfast]

wtf? why does she look like missy?

Commentary on Nicki being more vapid, saccharine sequel to Missy, maybe?

 

[Escape Goat]

It does sound pretty similar when you play them over one another.

 

[Impeccable]

Very similar, heh.

 

[Moppet13]

It actually sounds almost identical to me at some parts.

 

[Stabby McSter]

Shouldn't RedOne, the producer, be sued?

also, RedOne pls ;-;