Sound Bites: Lauryn Hill, DMX, Prince
February 12 -- Lauryn Hill Settles Credit Dispute
Lauryn Hill reached an out-of-court settlement with the four musicians who were seeking co-writing and co-production credits — as well as a third of the profits — from the hip-hop artist's 1998 LP, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The four artists, collectively known as New Ark Entertainment, said that Hill signed a 1997 agreement with them, promising credit on 13 of the 14 songs. Hill's lawyers said the plaintiffs were trying to ride on the album's success. The album brought Hill five Grammy Awards in 1999. The terms of the settlement, as is typical, were not disclosed.
DMX Skips Jail for Movie Promo
DMX failed to turn himself in to begin a court-ordered, 15-day jail sentence in upstate New York on Friday, because, according to his lawyer, the producers of Exit Wounds insisted that he stay in Los Angeles to film a promo for the movie. DMX, born Earl Simmons, co-stars with Steven Seagal in the movie, which is due in March. The judge who ordered the jail sentence — the result of Simmons pleading guilty in May to a reduced charge of driving without a license — was unsympathetic to the explanation for the no-show, and issued an arrest warrant Friday evening.
Prince Launches His Own Kingdom
Prince will unveil his new method of music distribution this week. NPGMusicClub.com opens Wednesday, allowing users to pay a $7.77 monthly fee for access to new Prince songs. The singer-songwriter is also offering a $100 per year VIP package for access to parties and more music. Prince, who had stopped using his name for a period of years because of a protracted battle with record companies, is no longer affiliated with a record label.
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