I Need a Freak
"I Need A Freak" is an influential rap / electro song originally released in 1983 by the musical act Sexual Harassment. It has been recorded and sampled many times, most notably by the multi-platinum group Black Eyed Peas for their 2005 hit song My Humps.
In 2011 the song's composer Lynn Tolliver won a $1.2 million lawsuit against for unauthorized use of the song.[1][2][3][4][5] Tolliver, a popular, long-time DJ from WZAK in Cleveland, Ohio told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "I don't get all that money, and I don't have any of it yet, but this couldn't have happened at a better time... I've been unemployed the last few years and was near bankruptcy, so this is a blessing."[6] Tolliver was well-known in Cleveland for his on-air stunts and was once attacked by a gunman at the station in 1985.[7] Tolliver is listed under his pseudonym David Payton on the album credits. The song was also released on the 1996 compilation album Old School: Volume 6.[8][9]
A dispute over royalties for the song were heard in an Ohio court in 2014.[10]
Other artists who have covered the song include:
- Egyptian Lover - I Need a Freak, Back from the Tomb (1994)
- Too $hort - I Need a Freak, In tha Beginning...There Was Rap (1997)
- Insane Clown Posse - Cherry Pie (I Need A Freak), Bizzar (2000)
- Electocute - I Need a Freak, A Tribute To Your Taste (2003)
References
- ^ NME.COM. "DJ wins $1.2 million in lawsuit over 'My Humps' sample | NME.COM". NME.COM. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
- ^ "Rapper Wins Lawsuit Over Black Eyed Peas Sample". The Boombox. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
- ^ "Jury Awards Artist $1M In 'My Humps' Copyright Suit". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
- ^ "DJ Wins $1 Million in Copyright Lawsuit Over Black Eyed Peas' 'My Humps'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
- ^ "Daily Telegraph".
- ^ "Former Cleveland DJ Lynn Tolliver wins $1.2 million in music sample suit". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
- ^ "wzak-fm". cleveland-radio.com. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
- ^ Various Artists (1996-11-19), Old School 6, Thump Records, retrieved 2016-03-08
- ^ "Old School, Vol. 6 - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ^ "Summit County: Court to hear authors dispute of Black Eyed Peas song". WKYC. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
External links
- Sexual Harassment page at Discogs
- Lyrics of this song at MusixMatch