Pop stars Rihanna & Michael Jackson are being sued by Manu Dibango. According to the 75 year old Cameroonian singer, the hook from his 1972 track “Soul Makossa” was stolen and incorporated into their songs. Jackson has already agreed that his 1983 hit “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” used parts of the Dibango’s song. Then in 2007, Rhianna received permission from Jackson to use the same hook for her smash hit “Please Don’t Stop The Music“. On February 15th, a judge will decide if Dibango should receive compensation of $500,000 in damages.
Listen to “Soul Makossa” by Manu Dibango
Music artist always do this. They go ahead and use the music without permission then once it’s a hit, they use a portion of the money they make to help settle the lawsuit. Typical.