French Montana’s 2016 smash hit “Lockjaw” is now the subject of intense scrutiny since it’s been placed as the centerpiece of a lawsuit against the New York rap star, while guest star, Kodak Black and producer Ben Billions, Cocaine City Records, Bad Boy Records, and Sony are all named in the suit as well.
According to Bossip, a Morrocan-born producer claims that French stole the beat from him and flipped it without giving him any credit or profits from the song.
The producer named Assil Youssef – who goes by “Yo Asel” – sued French for copyright infringement in December at the Manhattan Federal Court. Being a well-known producer in North Africa, Youssef decided to reach out to French (real name is Karim Kharbouch) in 2015 and sent a beat via email. According to court documents, French responded, telling Youssef to send more beats.
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In 2016, Youssef said that he was shocked to hear “Lockjaw,” with the beat being a slightly different version of the production that he sent in the email and being accredited to Billions. He attempted to reach out to French on social media about the situation but Montana blocked him from communicating with him.
Youssef is suing for monetary damages, a percentage of the track’s profits, and an injunction on the single’s distribution. He believes that his reputation has been damaged because of the alleged theft of the song.
So far, French Montana and the other defendants have yet to respond to the lawsuit but this isn’t the rap star’s first discrepancy with a production credit.
During his August 2017 Breakfast Club interview, French apparently forget the names of the producers who spliced together “Unforgettable,” his biggest record to date.
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Check out the HipHopDX interview with 1Mind, the trio behind “Unforgettable” right here.
