Judge Throws Out Sound Engineer's Lawsuit Against Jay Z Seeking $20 Million in Royalties

A sound engineer named Chauncey Mahan who worked with Jay Z from 1998 to 2002 (this was during the period when he released Vol 3 … Life and Times of S. Carter and The Dynasty: Roc La Familia) sued the rapper in a New York court last year seeking co-ownership credit on more than 40 songs valued at $20 million that were produced by ​the ​hip hop mogul and his Roc-A-Fella record label. That suit was tossed today by federal Judge Lorna Schoefield, who says the lawsuit was filed well beyond the three-year statute-of-limitation period that begins in such cases when a plaintiff learns they are entitled to royalties. “Considering the depth of plaintiff’s experience in the music industry and the substantial commercial success of the albums, this assertion strains credulity,” the judge said. The timing of the lawsuit was also strange, too. He filed the suit against Jay Z three months after he claimed someone affiliated the rapper called cops on him last April. Cops seized several items from Chauncey's storage unit, but he wasn't charged with a crime. According to Jay Z's lawyers, unbeknownst to anyone Chauncey had possession of the songs’ master recordings for many years. After he revealed he had the recordings, he asked Jay Z for $110,000 for keeping them safe for more than a decade. We are going to guess: Jay Z didn't give in to Chauncey's extortion plot and he, or someone in his camp, called police to go search Chauncey's home and recover the recordings.


source: NY Post