Ben-DutkaIn a game this massively huge, it was probably inevitable that someone somewhere would say they never gave Rockstar permission to use something.
In the case of Grand Theft Auto V , it's rapper Daz Dillinger, who according to TMZ has sent Rockstar a cease and desist letter. It accuses the developer of using his music in the game without actually paying him.
Apparently, they did offer to pay him for his songs "C-Walk" and "Nothin But the Cavi Hit," but he rejected the "offensively low offer of $4,271.00." That certainly does seem a little low. Anyway, the ex-Dogg Pound member has given Rockstar and publisher Take-Two Interactive an ultimatum: Either give him more money, or recall and destroy all unsold copies of the game. Okay, well, that probably won't happen, so I imagine they'll just have to pay him. As for Dillinger, he said this is about "respecting an artist's work."
Rockstar has 14 days to respond. Well, they've made over $1 billion on the game already so I'm sure all parties can come to some agreement.
Related Game(s): Grand Theft Auto V
I'd like to hear the tracks first, but if they took it or sampled enough from it then they had better pay up, buncha deadbeats.
Dont know him or his music, this is his chance for a spotlight.
Daz has already had his time to shine. I was too young but being a fan of hip hop I know he was a big deal in the early 90s. He was famous around the time the west coast vs east coast rivalry was going on. He did a lot of songs with snoop and dre, and also 2pac. In case that helps u recognize him.
Also he's made at least a million, this is merely for the principal, not cuz the guy needs a sandwich.
Last edited by Wrote on 10/12/2013 1:26:27 AM
Man the dude got some extra exposure, I say he should piss off, same as the guy who confronted Kojima about the MGS theme… Hell, I wouldn't know what Dies Irae was if not for Onimusha, or Little Fugue if not for Megaman *cough* Juno *cough* and later the Catherine trailer. Oh and don't forget Sho's theme from Battle Arena Toshinden 1, a variation of toccata and fugue in d minor.
The dude obviously is pissed that he didn't get in on the real action and he's wants to try to milk it without doing any real work since he found out that GTAV was a bigger hit than he expected… The situation was planned to fester so he could try to do this. The only thing I'd be willing to give him is an original 360 with red ring, and a 360 copy of the game with both disks cracked.
I think the lawyers will either find a loophole, proving that it may very well be likely that the game can be completed without ever hearing his rap, if and at that point, he'll be forced to settle with less, or nothing.
Sheeyit, in my world exposure and 4271 bucks is a fair deal… Or Rockstar can patch the game and remove it. Because in my reality, one song doesn't make a difference in a GTA game… ever. Don't believe me? Then play them all. I will say though, that in Vice City, I loved me some Broken Wings, and Good ol' MJ songs.
"The dude obviously is pissed that he didn't get in on the real action and he's wants to try to milk it without doing any real work"
Lets imagine that a big company like Rockstar offered you 4k to license songs from you. And that you thought that said amount was way too low, knowing all too well that the GTA series makes millions. Obviously, you gonna refuse that lowball offer. Because they certainly can afford to pay you more. Then, the game comes out and you find out that Rockstar went ahead and used your songs anyway. Without paying you single a dime.
I know you wouldn't be pissed about it.
But consider that not everyone is as willing to take the table-scraps from big companies that are rolling in dough. And who are using your work for free while they're at it.
I don't know who this rapper is either. But if this is how it went down, he has a point about asking for his fair share.
Last edited by Bonampak on 10/12/2013 12:59:33 AM
Again, if your work doesn't have a significant impact on the title, you don't need to get paid like it does. Combined with the fact that both tracks aren't even that good imo…
He didn't get low-balled. He just thinks he is better than he really is… That said, can you tell me if he even owns the rights to those songs, or if some publisher does. Besides, I looked up lists of his works, and neither song is on them so… Was he only featured in them? Again, I feel he's in it for the money. It's not about "respecting an artists work." Far from it… That is why I am upset. You focused on the wrong end of the speech, did you even read the rest?
Lets say he is right though and they used it without paying. It doesn't matter if you think its crap, it is HIS song and he wanted more.
Everyone who is in business knows you make yourself worth something or people will walk all over you. You have to demand more for your work, and that is all he is doing.
Now the game didn't make billions because of his song, but he should have either gotten what he asked for or rockstar should have just not used the songs.
I mean your siding with rockstar, who had access to literally every song ever, and they decided to use his without his permission. That is for all intensive purposes wrong.
It doesn't matter if it had a significant impact on the game or not, theft is theft even if it's from poor people.
Everyone, you have one side of this story. Me, I find it EXCEEDINGLY unlikely that it happened precisely the way Dillinger said it did. That would mean Rockstar made an offer, Dillinger rejected it, and then the legal team at Rockstar went, "Eh, we'll put 'em in anyway."
That makes zero sense. Maybe there was a mis-communication somewhere. We really don't know. Personally, while everyone is automatically suspicious of any big company these days, I'm far more suspicious of people who conveniently come out of the woodworks when something of theirs is part of a record-breaking billion-dollar product.
Would he have said anything had it flopped? Well, probably not. Either way, I like to get both sides of a story before passing judgment.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 10/12/2013 11:16:41 AM
That's why most of us are couching our arguments with "if it happened this way" type language
@Sol – He was indeed lowballed with that 4k offer.
Do you know how much advertisers pay musicians to use a bit (not the whole thing, but just a bit) of one of their songs? They start at 8,000 dollars and up, depending on how popular the song is. 8K for just a slice of ONE song. And yet Rockstar offered half that amount for TWO songs. So yes, they lowballed him.
And about owning the rights to those songs? He certainly owns the rights of at least one of them. Since if you saw the credits of the game, you'll notice that one of them is owned by this rapper (under his real name). The other song in question, that one is not too clear who owns it. But that's something for him and his lawyers to work out.
@Ben – I did add to my previous post that "if this is how it went down" then Rockstar is at fault. And I said that because we've only heard one side of the story.
Now, there is the possibility that Rockstar used the songs because after being denied by the artist himself, they went and asked the record label for permission. And they gave them the OK without consulting with the artist or paying him anything. If that's the case (we don't know yet), then this rapper needs to sue his record label.
Well soon find out (in 13 or 14 days?) about the truth. Unless Rockstar comes forward and gives us their side of things a lot sooner.
Last edited by Bonampak on 10/12/2013 12:20:04 PM
@Bonampak I actually side with Ben and World on various points. I'm only arguing to stimulate thought. That's what I try to do here on this site when I get the chance. I ruffle feathers on purpose on occasions if not to allow a clearer picture to be seen.
I know how the industry "should" work, in more ways than one as an artist, and as one whose work actually has been stolen from time to time. Don't be so serious.
Either way, I still feel like Dillenger's "respect for the artist" quote is in bad taste. In this day and age people don't just blatantly steal stuff if they are that big of an entity with a chance to lose a great deal. The whole situation reeks of fish and that much is fact, regardless of which side of the coin you sit…
@Sol – Well at least we agree that this situation reeks 😉
Eh, we'll soon find out what went down. Probably a miscommunication between the rapper and the people in his record label. He'll get what's coming to him, either way.
But Ben, considering how big Rockstar is and how big GTA, especiall V, is, I could definitely see it as something R* decided not to be concerned about. "Eh, we didn't get his permission? It's ok, we're gonna make billions. If he sues, it's not like we'll notice if we have to pay him."
I'm not saying that's how Rockstar did or does things–just that, considering how much money GTAV has made (and how much they expected it to make), I can see how they wouldn't be too worried about it.
well i wudn't call all empahsis on all hip hop art personally again personally but he sud be paid for his work i guess but as for the amount of money idk how much is a satifactory amount i guess for a game this big 4300ish isn't that much but dam what does he want a million dollars for two songs like really.
happy gaaming =)
Artist royalties. Pay up and then some! Too bad he knows now how much money you have made thus far on game sales. 🙂
Keep playing! Stay honest! Artist rights and all!
"Artist" royalties. FIFY.
Your ignorance is showing, Jawknee.
Rap is not music. And Nas sucks. Deal with it.
Whoa…"Rap is not music" because he said so!!! In all seriousness, if you don't like it…that's cool, but don't try to downplay the artistry of some of the work these "artists" made for millions of fans.
Dumb.
They shouldn't have used it if he turned their offer down but with that said, he couldn't give that "song" to me for free.
Can't they just remove it via a patch?
gotta love it how this industries always crying wolf because people are stealing their work, ie piracy.
yet if i had a nickel for every time a story released of a publisher stealing someones work, well, id be the richest man alive!
sorry guys but if its not ok for people to steal your work, than its not ok for you to steal peoples work.
whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
Even a huge fan of the game and developer like myself can't seriuosly defend this despicable action. For the first time, possibly ever, I agree with "___________" Gotta love how these people cry, piss and moan about stuff that is even a very legitimate business practice like the used games market, but then turn around and do something scummy and underhanded like this. In a way, I hope whatever sum they offer this rapper is refused and they have to stop selling copies of the game. It'd serve them right. A message needs to be sent to all the higher ups of these crybaby companies like EA, MS, Rockstar, etc. This is hypocrisy to the highest degree.
Last edited by Gamer46 on 10/12/2013 3:30:05 AM
I uh, the story is similar to something i wrote 5 years ago. Can i sue? lol
If you published 🙂
They should just update the game and remove the songs, no payments, no issues, simple.
It does not work that way. Its on the discs. Regardless if they patch it. Its on media format. I think trashing the unsold discs its TOTALLY unrealistic, but with the money I am sure they have made, minus production costs… I am sure the profits will more than cover to pay off the artist.
You know.. settle out of court and gag the artist to not divulge how much they will pay him.
Will be interesting to see how they get out of it unless they do the right and honest thing.
Keep playing!
It isn't about exposure for Daz. It is about principle. West Coast artist don't need worldwide exposure due to the population. They make enough in their home state that the rest of the world doesn't really matter. They shouldn't have used the songs without consent..They'll likely pay him opposed to patching the songs out
C-Walk was a song by Kurupt, but Daz Dillinger probably produced it. Same goes with Tha Dogg Pound's Wut Would U Do? track, as Kurupt + Dillinger = Tha Dogg Pound.
Not sure about "Nothin' But the Cavi Hit", as it's a Mack-10 track…
Glad someone here knows something about it.