Big Pimpin’ trial: Jay-Z forgets about Tidal

Big Pimpin’ trial: Jay-Z forgets about Tidal

The “Big Pimpin’” trial is heading towards a close this week after an eventful few days in court featuring testimonies from both Jay-Z and Timbaland. 

The dispute revolves around the use of a flute sample taken from “Khosara Khosara”, recorded by Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi. The suit was filed by the nephew of the composer who states that the producers never obtained an official permission for the use of the sample, which is instantly recognisable to an Egyptian audience. 

On the other hand, Timbaland stated he already paid $100,000 to the label with rights to distribute the track “Khosara Khosara” outside Egypt, and argues that the estate of Hamdi should have received a share of that. The outcome of the trial could impact the way samples are cleared going forwards.

One interesting moment in the proceedings came when Jay-Z was asked about his day-to-day activities by his attorney Andrew Bart. Jay-Z according to the Hollywood Reporter stated: 

Jay-Z: "I make music. I'm a rapper, I’ve got a clothing line, I run a label, a media label called Roc Nation, with a sports agency, music publishing and management. Restaurants and nightclubs... I think that about covers it."

Andrew Bart: "I’m not so sure. You have a music streaming service [Tidal], don’t you?"

Jay-Z: "Yeah, yeah. Forgot about that."

It's easy to read too much into this, after all Jay-Z does have a fair amount on the table at any given moment, but the moment of forgetfulness has been noted by music industry publications especially following rumors that the rapper visited Samsung's HQ to talk about a potential sale of the service. 

(Andrea Leonelli)