Brooklyn based rapper Mr. D. Original is preparing
to file a lawsuit against DMX and Ruff Ryder
producer Swizz Beatz. According to D., the two stole his song "Aint No
Sunshine When She’s Gone," a hip-hop version of the Bill Withers classic
song, "Aint No Sunshine." D claims that he wrote the song as a memorial
to his mother. "My mother died in the hospital due to hospital negligence
and everyone including the FDA was involved at the time," D said. "When
my mom passed away, I wrote "Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone" as
a memorial to her."
D said that he handed Swizz Beatz a 10 song demo
CD entitled "8 Million Stories," two years ago. The demo that he gave
to Swizz featured the song. Six months afterwards, DMX released his single and
video, "Aint No Sunshine," from the 2001 "Exit Wounds" soundtrack.
"The song was real deep with a universal appeal, and I knew that it was
destined to be a hit record.
Millions of people can relate to a family member dying in the hospital,"
D. added.
"When Swizz Beatz stole my song and released
it on the "Exit Wounds" soundtrack, it came out corny, wack, and shallow.
"Ain’t No Sunshine" didn’t move his career or that "Exit Wounds"
soundtrack forward, If anything, it was the obvious decline of DMX."
Aside from the lawsuit, D. Original is preparing
to release his next project, From The Cradle to the Grave You Know Me as a Hustler
in the Fall 2002, on his label, $Money Entertainment$.
Editors note: While DMX did appear on the
song "Aint No Sunshine," it was produced by Dame Grease, not Swizz
Beats.