“This is 99.8 THE BEAT, up next is the Top 9 at 9, where we play all of our top requests of the night.” Who knew that these “Top 9” artists/performers are not paid for their radio play? Unlike the copyright holders of the musical composition and lyrics of the song, who are paid every time the song is played, a parody is made, or a new artist performs that very song. However, the character/artist/image that has put this song into the limelight is not given a dime. There is new legislation in the Senate that will change the current situation; the Performance Right’s Act. The act has split the music community in two, with broadcasters on one side and artists on the other. Broadcasters claim that it is not fair for them to have to pay to play music on their stations because artists are receiving free promotion that record labels could not afford in the first place. While on the other hand, artists and the like, believe that they should receive equal credit and royalty compensation as other holders of copyrights to the same song they themselves have made popular. “Mr. Me Too” analyzes the arguments of both sides of the debate, while concluding with recommendations legislature should take into consideration when making such a drastic change to broadcast radio. [More]

I. Introduction

Jay-Z’s Blueprint II[1]I was released on September 11, 2009 with an abundance of featured artists as well known producers.[2] Exactly two months after his release date, this huge name will be at Assembly Hall performing for thousands of students, fans, adults, and professors.[3] In 2005 there was a grave controversy about DJ Danger Mouse’s mixtape The Grey Album[4], a compilation created by sampling Jay Z’s The Black Album[5] and the Beatles’ The White Album[6].[7] DJ Danger Mouse was sought out by record companies who owned both Jay-Z and The Beatles’ music for copyright infringement, after his mixtape became popular all over the internet as well as the radio airwaves.[8] More about DJ Danger Mouse and his legal troubles and how it relates to sampling will be discussed at length below. Today, on Blueprint III[9], Jay Z has producer Kanye West, who is famed, among other things, for his use of sampling in his very popular beats.[10] On his album Graduation (2007)[11] he gave sample credit on ten out of the fifteen songs on the CD.[12] [More]