Jah Cure, producer at odds over album - Flava McGregor says he had right to songs

Grammy-nominated reggae artiste Jah Cure and popular producer Kemar 'Flava' McGregor are at loggerheads over an album.

Jah Cure says the album bearing his name and image is a fake and is not coming from anyone associated with his management. The entertainer made the disclosure via his Instagram account last Friday.

Cure posted a picture of the album cover with the words 'Fake Album by #FME Records' written across it. The photo also had the following caption: "Fake album ... please don't buy! Exploitation". The caption also lists McGregor as the man responsible for putting out the album.

When The STAR contacted Jah Cure, the singer expressed anger at the situation, stating that he and the producer had not been in contact in four years.

"I just want to let the world know that the album is a fake," he said. "The songs on it are from me, but Flava had no right to use them. Those were songs I recorded years ago and they are just demos, I didn't record for him officially. He was supposed to finalise business with me regarding the songs, but didn't. I didn't get paid for them and he doesn't have a contract or any legal paperwork to use them."

Jah Cure said he and his team are planning to take legal action against the producer if he doesn't reach out to them to resolve the issue.

"Flava is trying to hustle me by putting out this fake album and promote it. I have reached out to my publisher to reach out to him and let him know that we are going to put an injunction on it (the album) if he doesn't take it down."

He also stressed that his label, VP Records, may follow through with other legal action.

Jah Cure told The STAR that he is most upset about the issue because of the sacrifices he has had to make over the years.

"I invested in my career," he said. "I spent my own money and tried to be my own CEO. I decided I wouldn't be buying the big Benz but would focus on making a big album, and it's sad that now that my work is paying off, people want to take a free ride off of me. It won't work."

CLAIMS RUBBISHED

But contacted yesterday, Flava rubbished the artiste's claims.

"Jah Cure, you're a liar. I pay you to record these songs and all these songs are copywritten in the Library of Congress. If you don't withdraw your statement and continue to tarnish my reputation, I will file criminal charges, defamation of character and slander against you in the US," McGregor said in an emailed response.

"These songs have been released for years, and so why now you're claiming that I don't have the rights to these songs? Jah Cure, you know the situation that you already in, so stop being dishonest because you know I pay you for the recordings."

He said Jah Cure is not the only artiste he has produced who was nominated for a Grammy.

"I have produced records for Grammy Award-winning pop artiste Sinead O'Connor and neo-soul artiste Musiq Soulchild, who have 11 Grammy nominations that sell millions of records, just to name a few."

Jah Cure's album, The Cure, has been nominated for Best Reggae Album at this year's Grammy Awards. His album is also currently in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 10 Reggae Album chart and has been on the charts for 28 weeks.