By K.B. Tindal
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Back in 2000, there weren’t any debates about the state of New York hip hop. Instead, there was nothing but respect, as Jay-Z had made himself the focal point of the game. He did something innovative at the time when he featured Bun B and Pimp C of UGK on his breakout hit single, “Big Pimpin.'”
Timbaland produced the song, which was Jay-Z’s biggest single until 2009. Four years ago, Jay-Z released The Blueprint 3, boasting Billboard’s number three single, “Run This Town” with Rihanna and Kanye West and “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys. Even then, Jay-Z faced a lawsuit over “Big Pimpin.'”
Back in 2007, a lawsuit was filed by Ahab Joseph Nafal, the nephew of the composer of “Khosara, Khosara,” which Timbaland and Jay-Z sampled. The lawsuit played a big factor in 2007-2008 and has been ongoing. While most forgot about it, Nafal has not and the suit may continue well into 2014.
Follow K.B. Tindal on Twitter @KBTindal.
