Dr. Khalid Muhammad’s 79-Year Old Sister Goes Off On Ice Cube, Public Enemy And Tupac's Lawyer

EXCLUSIVE: Public Enemy, Ice Cube & More In Crosshairs Of Dr. Khalid Muhammad’s Estate Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)August 11, 2016 Public Enemy Dr. Khalid Muhammad is at the center of a trio of federal lawsuits filed in California, as his estate accuses top Hip-Hop artists and major record labels of exploiting his speeches without credit or compensation. The legal complaints target music giants behind tracks by Tupac Shakur, Public Enemy and D’Angelo, alleging they used Muhammad’s voice and words without permission, licensing or payment. The estate is seeking $5 million per infringement, plus legal fees and a permanent injunction to halt further use. “These lawsuits are not an attack on Public Enemy, Tupac’s family or D’Angelo,” said attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz, who represents the estate. “They are about accountability. The record labels and music corporations exploited Khalid Muhammad’s voice for profit, just like they’ve done to the Black artists whose songs featured him. Most of these artists don’t even own the rights to their own music. They’ve been exploited too.” AllHipHop broke the news that Muhammad’s estate was suing Shakur’s estate over his 1996 song “White Man’z World.” The legal war has expanded to include D’Angelo and The Vanguard’s “1000 Deaths.” Most notably, the Public Enemy classic “Night of the Living Baseheads” could be fundamentally altered if the legendary intro featuring Dr. Muhammad’s voice were removed. The estate claims these songs, some of which are considered Hip-Hop milestones, sampled Muhammad’s speeches without clearance, despite generating millions in revenue and critical acclaim.