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West Coast pioneer Big Hutch is claiming theft and deception, and is suing multi-platinum West Coast producer Dr. Dre., his Aftermath Records, Interscope Records, Ruff Ryders and and multi-platinum Philly femcee Eve over the 1999 single, “Love Is Blind.”
Hutch stated the song was stripped of some of its original components and released in September 1999 on the album, Let There Be EVE… Ruff Ryders’ First Lady.
The album which sold 213,000 copies in the first week, and eventually went on to sell over two million copies according to Soundscan, is certified double platinum.
In 2000, “Love Is Blind” was nominated for “Best Rap Video”, and the album received “Best R&B/Soul Female Solo Album of the Year.”
Big Hutch, nephew to R&B legend Willie Hutch, says that in December 1997, he was introduced and hired to produce, at the time, an up and coming artist known as EVE.
Hutch says, Mike Lynn, as head of the A&R department at Aftermath, introduced him to the EVE project, and that later it would be just him and EVE in the studio producing an array of tracks.
Hutch asserts that he co-wrote and produced “Love Is Blind,” and that when EVE made the transition from Aftermath to the Ruff Ryders, all parties failed to give Hutch credit.
In addition, Hutch says that between 2000 and 2001, while serving as the VP to Death Row during Suge Knight’s incarceration, Hutch approached Aftermath to assist him with retaining compensation for his involvement, but was told, ‘We can’t help you. You have no proof.’
Aftermath further explained to Hutch they could not put anything together to help obtain the rights to the song he “helped produce.”
Hutch continued on with his own music career while battling Aftermath, but was incarcerated from July 2004 to August 2007. Prior to his incarceration Hutch says he, “stored and warehoused all his musical catalog, and it wasn’t until this year 2012 that he finally stumbled across his ‘proof’, for the original.”
“I’m not trying to take away from what EVE has done, but I was a key in helping EVE create a hit record,” Hutch said.
Hutch was signed to the late Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records and had a group called Above The Law. Hutch and Above The Law’s 1990 Living Like Hutstlers debut album release was selected as one of The Source’s “100 Best Rap Albums Ever” and claimed The Billboard 200 at #75 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at #14.
He acknowledges himself as Dr. Dre’s “understudy,” in his legal press release and is currently signed to Psychopathic Records, home to the famed Insane Clown Posse. Hutch plans to release an album ICP’s label entitled The Only Solution. Hutch currently also heads his own label West World Records with his business partners with the label Big Shot Music Group.
EVE, Dr. Dre, Aftermath Records, and Interscope Records have yet to comment. More news will be released as details emerge.
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