Jamaican Artist Suing Jay Z and Beyonce - Newslibre

Jamaican Artist Suing Jay Z and Beyonce

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Lenora Antoinette Stines, a Jamaican artist is suing entertainment power couple Beyonce Knowles and Jay Z for not crediting her for her contribution to their single “Black Effect.”

The Jamaican artist filed Tuesday in the United States District Court Central District of California to be compensated for copyright infringement, right of publicity, and unjust enrichment.

In 2018, Jay Z and Beyonce released an album “Everything is Love” which featured the “Black Effect” song which Lenora says she contributed to and she has not received any credit for.

Stines’ voice is featured in the first minute of the “Black Effect” song. She is seeking damages, legal fees, a portion of the publishing rights, and a writer’s credit for the single.
According to the suit,  Stines “is 68 years old and she is extremely well respected and highly regarded in the island of Jamaica, and throughout the world for her artistry and wisdom.”

Stines, a choreographer is suing both Jay Z and Beyonce for using her voice and didn’t credit her. (Image Credit: Loop Jamaica)

Why is Dr. Stines Suing Beyonce and Jay Z?

Stines alleges that she was approached in Jamaica by the couple in March of 2018 to help obtain dancers for a video meant to promote their album and tour.
Stines, who uses the title “Dr.” in the lawsuit, said she supplied some dancers for the video and was also asked to speak about her thoughts on love in the video. According to her, on the day she showed up to film the video she was told she “must sign” an agreement to participate.
“When Dr. Stines inquired into the terms of the agreement, she was told that the agreement ‘was just a standard document that everyone had to sign,'” the suit states. “She was then told not to worry because the agreement was only going to be utilized so that her voice could be used in the Video.”

Beyonce and Jay Z are being accused of lying to Stines that her voice would not be used. (Image Credit: iHeartRadio)

Stines said that when she asked if she could snap a photo of the agreement to send to her son, who is an attorney in South Florida to review, she “was explicitly told that she could not send a picture of the agreement to anyone to review.”
The suit goes on to say that Stines was assured that the recording “would only be used in the video, which was said to be for promotional purposes.”
But when the album came out in June 2018, “To the shock, horror, and chagrin of Dr. Stines, the Project featured the unauthorized exploitation of her vocals on a song known as “Black Effect” (the “Recording”).”
“This discovery left Dr. Stines feeling violated,” the suit states.
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