09/23/2020
Entrepreneur:
A valiant, yet failed,Hypocritical effort to promote Black Entrepreneurship through Song
“It’s sort of like singing, but different!” Sir, you would have a truly magnificent voice if your lower register had the power and clarity that is so obviously lacking in your upper register!”
These are 2 of the many quotes I desperately researched and found to adequately describe the
painfully tone deaf presentation of Pharrell Williams in his and Jay-Z’s recent release of the song and Video “Entrepreneur:
To have two of “the biggest artists of all time or “Black Men '' collaborate and praise the very people they've garnered their succe$$es off of the back$ of, unapologetically, is truly disdainful and quite frankly, hypocritical!
Please allow me to elaborate!
Aside from homeownership, Entrepreneurship provides the second best opportunity for the “Black Man” to achieve generational wealth/success. With that being said, the images presented throughout the video were, indeed, powerful and profound!
However,....
Entrepreneur #1- Pharrell Williams
A) In 2019, Williams et. al. was finally found guilty of copying an iconic and legendary “Black Man’s” hit single “Got to Give it Up” and using it to create Blurred Lines. Marvin Gaye’s Estate was forced to sue Pharrell et. al. and was, eventually, awarded approximately $5M in this historic ruling. Although this was the first time he was found guilty of “track jacking,” this certainly was not Pharrell’s first time at the “alleged” Intellectual Property theft rodeo, for...
B) In or about 2014, Pharrell attempted to trademark the name of his “creative venture and way of life I Am Other.” However, Will.i.am objected saying that people could confuse the two companies, leading to legal action and eventually a settlement.
C) Williams has been charged with numerous other copyright infringement lawsuits/charges of copying filed or alleged by other artists including:
1) Boone v. Jackson et. al- (Holla’back v. Young’N Holla’back-2006)
2) Peter Currin- (I’m Frontin v. Frontin-2010)
3) Geggy Tah-(Feel Like Me vs. Whoever You Are-2009)
4) Richard Morrill- (Who's got My Lighter vs. Spark the Fire)
5) Anne Marsen-Happy Video vs. Girl Walk All Day)..and others.
To have been continuously alleged and now officially charged with Intellectual Property improprieties against many “Entrepreneurs” and pretend to encourage and champion such may suggest that Mr. Williams may be no better than a Common Thief, an “Imposter” and/or“Hypocrite” as opposed to an authentic
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
“Entrepreneur.”Can you truly be considered an "Entrepreneur" if you have been found guilty of stealing an icon's mega hit (Marvin Gaye's Got to Give It Up) and numerous other allegations of IP theft? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNwe2gcpp98
Holla'back!
Music Video Parody of Pharrell Williams "Happy" With Numerous allegations of theft including the recent jury verdict awarding Marvin Gaye's Estate $5Million,...
