A producer claimed Nicki Minaj and Mike WiLL Made-It stole the beat for their collaboration “I Lied.”
According to TMZ, Julius Johnson sued Nicki Minaj and Mike WiLL Made-It for allegedly ripping off Johnson’s song “onmysleeve.” The producer believed the “I Lied” instrumental blatantly copied his track, which dropped in 2011.
“I Lied” appeared on the 2014 album The Pinkprint. Johnson said he didn’t hear the song until 2022 but quickly recognized it was his beat.
Johnson had the instrumental on a hard drive, which was stolen when he attended the Art Institute of Atlanta in 2013. He believed Nicki Minaj and Mike WiLL Made-It had associates at the institute who obtained the hard drive.
A rep for Nicki Minaj did not comment on the lawsuit, but TMZ cited a source who downplayed any wrongdoing. The source noted she was not involved in the beat’s creation.
“Clearly Nicki is a lyricist, so the claim in terms of production will obviously have to be addressed by the applicable parties,” the source told TMZ.
Johnson sought compensation for “I Lied.” He wanted Nicki Minaj to cease usage of the song or provide him with credit for the beat.
Listen to the tracks below.