Chicago, Illinois
producer Eric “E-Smoove” Miller and his label, Focus Music Group,
have filed a $10 million dollar counterclaim against superstar rapper Kanye West
regarding several recordings West allegedly produced when he was younger.
In August, West filed a suit alleging that Miller and Focus
Music Group created fake documents, forged his signature and tried to sell songs
he recorded before he was 18.
Miller is seeking $10,485,000 in damages in the counter lawsuit,
claiming that West recorded and co-produced eight vocals and two instrumentals
for an album to be released through the label.
Miller’s suit states that West served as an associate
producer for the label until 1996 and that the rapper turned 18 before he recorded
the tracks.
Miller and his label also maintain that West agreed that FMG
would own the Masters to the recordings.
Miller has produced recordings for Janet Jackson, Total, Michael
Jackson, Al Jareau, Marvin Gaye and others.
In 2001 he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his remix of
Sunshine Anderson’s#### “Heard it All Before.”
The lawsuit is requesting Miller the right to use the Masters
without West’s consent
Miller is represented by Randolph D. Phifer, Esq., the Managing
Partner at Phifer & White, P.C. in Detroit, Michigan, consultant Jeffrey
H. Brown, Esq., a partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Chicago, Illinois
and consultant Joseph A. Spiriti Jr., Esq. of Joseph A. Spiriti Jr., P.A. in
Miami, Florida.
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