The hip hop icon and his company have launched legal action against The X Factor judge Rita Ora
RocNation is suing Rita Ora for $2.3 million.
Jay Z’s record label has filed the suit against his former protege, accusing her of breaking her recording contract and failing to deliver her second album, which they claim to have spent almost £1.38 million developing and marketing.
According to the filing, obtained by the New York Post’s Page Six, Rita was contracted for five albums but has so far only released one.
It states that RocNation “has tirelessly promoted [her] career, investing millions of dollars in marketing, recording and other costs, which was instrumental in guiding Ms. Ora to her current level of success and fame”.
The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan, just six weeks after Rita sued the label in Los Angeles, seeking a judgment that the agreement she signed in 2008 at the age of 18 with Roc Nation violates California law.
The filing added: “When Rita signed, Roc Nation and its senior executives were very involved with her as an artist. As Roc Nation’s interests diversified, there were fewer resources available and the company suffered a revolving door of executives.
“Rita’s remaining supporters at the label left or moved on to other activities, to the point where she no longer had a relationship with anyone at the company.”
Following Roc Nation’s filing, Rita’s lawyer Howard King, said: “Jay Z has personally and graciously promised Rita complete freedom from Roc Nation, the details of which are now being finalised.
“We believe that Roc Nation’s distributor, Sony Music, has required Roc Nation to file this action to preserve whatever rights Sony might have pending resolution.”
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