Jay-Z is Suing an Online Retailer Over This

Rapper and hip hop mogul Jay-Z is suing Australian online retailer over a children’s book.

The rapper claims that Sydney-based Little Homie, which publishes A B to Jay-Z and other hip-hop inspired books, infringed upon his trademark and copyright.

According to the New York Times, the company sells a book titled A B to Jay-Z, which repurposes a lyric from JAY-Z’s The Black Album track “99 Problems.” The book reads, “If you’re having alphabet problems I feel bad for your son, I got 99 problems but my ABCs ain’t one.”

JAY-Z’s original lyric is: “If you’re having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one.”

The rapper’s lawsuit states that the use of his name, likeness, and references to “99 Problems” in A B to Jay-Z, as well
as other products sold by the Little Homie, constitute “a deliberate and knowing attempt to trade off the reputation and good will” of JAY-Z.

The lawsuit alleges that the retailer has used JAY-Z’s intellectual property “for their own commercial gain.” The complaint states that JAY-Z’s attorneys have sent multiple cease-and-desist letters to the Little Homie since 2017.

“We are unbelievably disappointed to find ourselves caught in a legal battle with someone whose music we love and adore,” said Little Homie owner Jessica Chiha to the Times.