Nicki Minaj loses legal battle against Tracy Chapman; Owes $450,000

The legal battle between Nicki Minaj and Tracy Chapman has finally drawn to a close.

After a long withstanding legal war between the two, the verdict is ruled in favor of Chapman. According to a report in E!, documents filed in California court on 7th January 2021 starts that Chapman has accepted Minaj's offer of judgment in their copyright infringement case. On Dec. 17, Minaj offered to pay Chapman $450,000, and Chapman accepted the deal on Dec. 30. As a result, the two will no longer head to the trial they had scheduled for later this year.

"Judgment shall be entered in favor of plaintiff Tracy Chapman and against Defendant in the amount of $450,000," the Dec. 17th filing read, noting that this sum was "inclusive of all costs and attorney fees incurred to date."

In a statement provided to E!, Chapman reacted to the settled case. "I am glad to have this matter resolved and grateful for this legal outcome which affirms that artists' rights are protected by law and should be respected by other artists," she told the news organization via her publicist Howard Bragman. "I was asked in this situation numerous times for permission to use my song; in each instance, politely and in a timely manner, I unequivocally said no. Apparently, Ms. Minaj chose not to hear and used my composition despite my clear and express intentions."

Chapman said she's "been known to be protective" of her work and claimed she's "never authorized" the use of her songs for samples or requested a sample. She then added that the lawsuit against Minaj was an effort to defend herself and her work and to protect "the creative enterprise and expression of songwriters and independent publishers like myself."

The case was originally filed in October 2018 just a few months after Minaj dropped her fourth studio album Queen.