Who is Julis Johnson? Nicki Minaj sued by musician who claims rapper's song 'I Lied' copied his beat

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Nicki Minaj is facing a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by musician Julius Johnson, who claims that her 2014 song 'I Lied' bears a striking resemblance to his song 'Onmysleeve'. The lawsuit, filed in California, alleges that Johnson's song was published on YouTube in 2011, three years prior to the release of Minaj's album 'The Pinkprint,' which includes the disputed track.

According to the lawsuit, Johnson states that his beat was taken without his consent from a studio session in 2013. At the time, Johnson was a student at the Art Institute of Atlanta, and he alleges that individuals associated with or connected to Minaj and producer Mike Will Made-It had access to the recording space and obtained his hard drive. These allegations suggest that the beat in question may have been acquired and utilized without proper authorization or credit.

In addition to Minaj and Will, the lawsuit also names producers Ester Renay Dean and Skooly, as well as Universal Music Group and other record labels, as defendants. Johnson is seeking the profits that Minaj and Will earned from the song 'I Lied' and is requesting that a judge order them to either stop using the song or provide proper credit to him on the track and the album.

Who is Julis Jackson?

Not much information is available about the musician who filed the lawsuit against Minaj. Aside from the YouTube video he claims belongs to him and the details mentioned in his legal complaint, there is little additional public information about him.

Meanwhile, a source close to Minaj spoke to TMZ saying that the rapper had no involvement in the selection of the beat in question. The source denies any connection between Minaj and the alleged unauthorized use of Johnson's beat, suggesting that she was not responsible for its selection or inclusion in her song. "Clearly Nicki is a lyricist, so the claim in terms of production will obviously have to be addressed by the applicable parties," they said.

Nicki Minaj's 'The Pinkprint' was streamed 16.8 million times

The song 'I Lied' in 2014 is believed to have been influenced by Minaj's alleged breakup with Safaree Samuels after 10 years. Minaj, who had kept their relationship private, seemed to channel her complicated emotions and regrets into the track. According to the lawsuit, Minaj's album 'The Pinkprint' achieved significant success, with the claim stating that it was streamed 16.8 million times across various on-demand streaming platforms in the United States during its initial week. The album went on to receive double platinum certification in February 2016, highlighting its popularity and commercial achievements.

'Agenda to defame this woman with false information'

Fans have taken to social media to express their support for Minaj amidst the lawsuit. Many of her dedicated fans have rallied behind her, offering words of encouragement. One user asked, "Im trying to do research on this artist and hes not even popping up on youtube. so whos lying?" while another added, "No funny sh*t but why every time nicki announces she’s doing something I see a million random a** stories about her lol..just for them to get debunked..this is mad weird." A third agreed, saying, "so y'all just gonna keep putting out randomly negative stories until one stick huh???" "So you guys are still continuing this agenda to defame this woman with false information! Since when does Nicki Minaj make beats. You guys can’t be serious?" added a fourth user.

Another user wrote, "We’re supposed to believe that? How many years ago Nicki dropped ‘I Lied’ 8-9 years ago? And they’re going to sue her now? Plus she’s not the producer of the song." A significant number of supporters agreed and directed blame toward the producers involved in the lawsuit. "For those who don’t understand how this works Mike Will is the one that brought the beat to her and made it seem like it was his beat. actually it was somebody else beat. She’s not at fault because she’s not the producer, but since her name is on it."