John Legend addresses Anthony Stokes' allegations

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Through Kanye West, John Legend is one of the newest artists signed to Def Jam. Over the past few years, Def Jam has been primarily focused on their R&B talent. Adding John Legend to a roster that already included Ne-Yo and Jeremih was a major plus for them.

Being signed to Def Jam is also a major plus for John Legend. With things going so well, the only problem is the lawsuit he is facing. A young man, Anthony Stokes, is accusing John Legend of stealing his song. When Legend visited UNC in 2004, he saw Stokes perform a song he used on his 2006 album.

The song Anthony Stokes is referring to is "Maxine's Interlude," which Stokes claims is his song, "Where Are You Now?" For months, Anthony Stokes has been pushing his lawsuit. He has spoken with several magazines and websites about the situation. As much as Stokes has talked, John Legend has said nothing.

Recently, he decided to break his silence and discuss the issues. John Legend said stealing a track is something he would never do. The G.O.O.D. Music singer said Anthony Stokes is making statements he knows are not true. Until he found himself sued by Stokes, John Legend said he had never even heard of the song Anthony Stokes is referring to. John Legend said he has never done anything like this and he will fight in court to clear his name.

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John Legend facing lawsuit over Debut Album

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

John Legend rose to fame due to his association with Kanye West, which landed him major collaborations. Before the release of his debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye West created his imprint, G.O.O.D. Music. John Legend was among one of the first artists signed to the label.

G.O.O.D. Music's first year, 2004, was very successful with the release of West's debut and Legend's debut, Get Lifted. Two years later, John Legend released his second album, Once Again, a platinum success. The album featured a track called "Maxine's Interlude."

Five years later, John Legend and the entire G.O.O.D. Music label, are facing a lawsuit over the song. Written by Anthony Stokes, a student at UNC Chapel Hill, Stokes never received proper credit for the song. Stokes claimed he had the lyrics to the song copywritten in 2004. Before he registered the song, Stokes said he attended a John Legend concert.

Upon meeting John Legend backstage, Anthony Stokes presented the singer with his demo and his contact information. With no copyright on the song, apparently John Legend used the song and featured it on his second album. Anthony Stokes is suing G.O.O.D. Music and former distributor, Sony Records, for copyright infringement and unjust enrichment.

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