Jonathan Emile sought vindication, not money -- and got it.
Legal blogs and lawyers have been analyzing a recent win in small claims court by Montreal hip hop artist Jonathan Emile against defendants Top Dawg Entertainment Inc., Interscope Records and Universal Music Group, calling it “an unusual case.”
The 30-year-old rapper secured a feature from Kendrick Lamar for his 2015 song, “Heaven Help Dem,” from his The Lover/Fighter Document. However any momentum gained from Lamar's contribution was halted when the song was removed from YouTube, SoundCloud and other online platforms for alleged copyright infringement.
Emile sued for damages, eventually winning a judgment in his favor for for $8,600 CAD (about $6,400 USD) plus five percent interest, according to figures provided to Billboard by Emile’s management company, High Season Co.