(AllHipHop News) Missy Elliott is suing a guy she claims is trying to sell her back dozens of unreleased songs she made in his studio in the 1990s as an upcoming artist.
Missy filed the lawsuit against producer Terry Williams, who worked with her shortly after her success as a member of the shortlived group Sista.
The group was signed to Jodeci group member DeVante record label Swing Mob, which was distributed by Elektra Records from 1993-1995.
Since Missy was still on the come-up, she frequently visited other music producers and sound engineers in a variety of settings to rehearse her pre-existing lyrics and melodies.
Missy says she would frequently visit Terry Williams’ home studio, where they would listen to beats from his “database” that he created to help her rehearsal.
The hit producer maintains Williams was strictly a music producer who maintained a database of various musical beats and instrumentals, some of which were original, while others were not.
“Williams was one of several music producers or other persons with home studios who provided Elliott an opportunity through his home studio for Elliott to listen to how Elliott’s lyrics, vocal arrangements, and melodies sounded when played back on a recording,” Missy’s complaint reads.
“Elliott never, at any time, entered into any agreement with Williams of any
kind or nature, and never, at any time, ever discussed or contemplated entering into any agreement with Williams of any kind or nature,” according to the lawsuit.
In 1996, Missy’s career took off when she started writing for Aaliyah and she penned eight of the song’s on her breakthrough album One in a Million.
Over 20 years later in 2017, Missy started getting phone calls from a man named “Gary” who was trying to hawk 35 tracks she recorded in Williams’ home studio, which he claims are rightfully his.
Terry Williams tried to sue Missy in November of 2018, but the lawsuit was thrown out of court in February of 2020, clearing the way for Missy’s attempt to claim ownership of the recordings.
Missy asking a judge to name her the sole author and sole owner of the lyrics, vocal arrangements, and melodies underlying and embodied within the subject Recordings.
She is also going after any other recordings Williams possesses or maintains, or ever possessed or maintained featuring Missy.
