Nicki Minaj's pop-smash "Starships" held the top spot on Billboard for 21 weeks last summer, but the Young Money superstar and her crew may not deserve all of the credit.
Clive Tenaka, who goes by an alias, has never performed live and fans don't know his real name nor where he's from, is staking his claim for credit, and payment, by suing Minaj for copyright infringement. Tenaka's song "Neu Chicago" is virtually identical to Minaj's "Starships" and was used in advertising for a retail store in the UK and a beverage line in Sweden, where Minaj's production team for "Starships" is from.
No one was available for comment on the story, partly because no one knows where Tenaka is. From The Chicago Tribune:
Tanaka, whose company, Tanaka Light Industries USA, lists a business address in an industrial building on Chicago's West Side, was not available for comment. The only personal information provided in the suit states that Tanaka was born in 1976 and is a U.S. citizen.
His attorney, Christopher Niro, said Tanaka was "working on a new album and screenplay," possibly in South America.
He did, however, post a mash up of the two songs, with his song playing in the right speakers and hers on the left (above). His song, "Neu Chicago" is below. Sounds like Nicki's going to be paying up.
