T.I. Must Face Lawsuit Over 2016 Dr. Dre Collab Song ‘Dope,’ Judge Rules

A federal judge says T.I. ‘s company must face a copyright lawsuit from hip-hop producer Sir Jinx over his work on the 2016 Dr.

Dre collaboration “Dope.” Jinx — Dre’s cousin who rose to fame with Ice Cube in the 1980s — sued last year over the 2016 track, on which he’s listed as a producer in the credits.

He claims T.I.’s company infringed his copyrights because it never got his approval to release it.

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Breakthrough T.I.’s company wanted the case dismissed, arguing Jinx had willingly worked on the song and consented to its release.

But in a ruling Monday (Aug.

17), Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said it was too early to decide whether the rapper’s firm had secured such approval from Jinx.

“Whether a defendant used copyrighted material under an implied license is a fact-specific question not appropriate for resolution [at an early stage of the case],” the judge wrote.

The judge also refused to dismiss claims that T.I.’s company (Grand Hustle LLC) breached a contract with Jinx by releasing the song without his authorization.

The decision is not a final ruling, but instead sends the case into more litigation — first into discovery, then toward a potential trial.

Neither side’s attorneys immediately returned requests for comment on Wednesday (Aug.

19).

Jinx broke out in the 1980s as a member of the hip-hop trio C.I.A. alongside Ice Cube and Kid Disaster.