I Need a Freak explained

"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 hip hop group Black Eyed Peas for their 2005 hit song "My Humps".[1] The song itself quotes from Antonín Dvořák's "New World Symphony."[2]

The late Lynn Tolliver, who composed the song, was awarded a $1.2 million lawsuit in 2011 against his former collaborator, James McCants, for using the song without permission.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] 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."[8] Tolliver, who was well known in Cleveland for his daring on-air stunts, passed away in February 2022 due to an undisclosed medical condition.[9] [10] Tolliver is listed under his pseudonym David Payton on the album credits. The song was also released on the 1996 Thump Records compilation album, Old School: Volume 6, as well as the 2000 Priority Records compilation, In tha Beginning...There Was Rap.[11] [6]

A dispute over royalties for the song were heard in an Ohio court in 2014.[12] The Sexual Harassment band consisted of Lynne Poole, Dale Jackson, Lourdes Figueroa, Kelly Albright, Alicia Starr, and Charlie Inez.

Covers versions

Other artists who have covered the song include:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: DJ wins $1 million in lawsuit over "My Humps" song. Reuters. Eriq. Gardner. June 24, 2011. September 20, 2021.
  2. Web site: Who Sampled. I Need a Freak. December 1, 2021.
  3. Web site: DJ wins $1.2 million in lawsuit over 'My Humps' sample NME.COM. NME.COM. NME.COM. en-GB. 2016-03-07.
  4. Web site: Rapper Wins Lawsuit Over Black Eyed Peas Sample. The Boombox. 2016-03-07.
  5. Web site: Jury Awards Artist $1M In 'My Humps' Copyright Suit. www.law360.com. 2016-03-07.
  6. Web site: DJ Wins $1 Million in Copyright Lawsuit Over Black Eyed Peas' 'My Humps'. The Hollywood Reporter. 2016-03-07.
  7. Web site: Daily Telegraph.
  8. Web site: Former Cleveland DJ Lynn Tolliver wins $1.2 million in music sample suit. cleveland.com. 2016-03-07.
  9. Web site: Lynn Tolliver, a radio force in Cleveland, has died, reports say. cleveland com. Cliff Pinckard. February 14, 2022. cleveland.
  10. Web site: wzak-fm. cleveland-radio.com. 2016-03-07.
  11. Web site: Old School, Vol. 6 - Various Artists Songs, Reviews, Credits. AllMusic. 2016-03-08.
  12. Web site: Summit County: Court to hear authors dispute of Black Eyed Peas song. WKYC. 2016-03-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20160308054314/http://legacy.wkyc.com/story/news/local/summit-county/2014/08/19/ninth-district-state-court-can-hear-dispute-among-authors-of-part-of-black-eyed-peas-hit-song/14289217/. 2016-03-08. dead.
  13. Web site: None.
  14. Web site: New York-Based Musician Re-Records Regional 1980s Hit ‘I Need a Freak’. Jeff. Niesel. Cleveland Scene.
  15. http://www.dragjazz.com

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