Cam’ron wants a US court to rule that he is co-owner of the copyright in J Cole track ‘Ready 24’ – on which he guests – because his fellow rapper reneged a commitment to appear on either one of his records or his podcast ‘It Is What It Is’.
According to a new lawsuit, Cam’ron first agreed to collaborate with J Cole on what became ‘Ready 24’ back in 2021. The two rappers allegedly agreed a ‘verse swap’ deal, whereby Cam’ron would write and record a verse for Cole’s track, without charging any fee, on the understanding Cole would subsequently return the favour.
So, while Cam’ron would get a co-write credit on ‘Ready 24’, the sound recording would belong to Cole and his label. Then Cole would write and record a verse for a future Cam’ron track which he would own and release. Or, if he preferred, Cole could instead do a guest spot on Cam’ron’s podcast.
Cam’ron wrote and recorded his verse in June 2022, making good on his side of the deal. Then two years later, the lawsuit explains, despite Cole “having refused to honour his agreement to collaborate on either a single or on the podcast”, ‘Ready 24’ was released on the mixtape ‘Might Delete Later’.
The lawsuit runs through a back and forth of communications between the two rappers that occurred between the recording and release of ‘Ready 24’, in which Cam’ron first proposed some musical collaborations, and then tried to arrange a podcast appearance. But between July 2023 and April 2024, it claims, “Cole repeatedly stated that he was unavailable to appear on the podcast”.
Cole’s people have logged Cam’ron as a co-writer of ‘Ready 24’ with the US Copyright Office and the music industry’s collecting societies. However, because Cole failed to honour the verse swap deal, Cam’ron reckons he should also be deemed a ‘co-author’ – and therefore co-owner – of the copyright in the ‘Ready 24’ sound recording.
He also reckons he’s owed at least half a million dollars from the exploitation of Cole’s track to date.
