Lord Finesse Sues Mac Miller For $10M, Claims Copyright Infringement On Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza

Mac Miller's 2010 song Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza (The Kool Aid Song), off his mixtape K.I.D.S.: Kickin' Incredibly Dope Shit, featured an instrumental from Lord Finesse's Hip 2 Da Game, and Lord Finesse says he's entitled to $10 million on grounds of copyright infringement.

This is a case about a teenage rapper- Mac Miller- copying the music from a song written, produced and performed by Lord Finesse, a hip hop legend, changing the title and then distributing it under his own name in order to launch his music career, the Lord Finesse lawsuit says, according to Courthouse News Service.

Mac Miller, real name Malcolm McCormick, said Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza and the resulting music video for the track with Lord Finesse's instrumental were made as a sign of respect to the accomplished rapper and producer.

Miller explained on Twitter:

 I'm supposed to be on hush but lemme speak on this real quick. 1. I made that record and video as nothing more than an 18 year old kid who wanted to rhyme and pay homage, no other intentions. 2. Finesse and I spoke on the phone for an hour after he heard the record and cleared the air. We even planned to work on music together 3. All I wanted to do is shed light on a generation that inspired me 5. [sic[ Finesse never cleared the Oscar Peterson sample on the original record.

Miller said he did nothing wrong and that he and Lord Finesse spoke on the phone and had a good conversation, he was cool with the record.

But then Miller said he heard Lord Finesse took issue with the song.

I reached out to him to try and solve it. No response, the 20-year-old rapper claimed.

Lord Finesse also addressed the controversy while also praising the young rapper he's suing:

1. I appreciate Mac's kind words but his people did not handle his business correctly. 2. Basics - Mixtapes are one thing, but you can't take someone's else's entire song, shoot a music video and call it your own. 3. Mac's on the top of his game right now. I wish him the best in Europe and I hope to hear from him besides on Twitter.

Lord Finesse, real name Robert Hall, filed the copyright infringement suit in Manhattan federal court.

Finesse was based in The Bronx and is most associated with being the leader of the New York City hip-hop group Diggin' in the Crates, or D.I.T.C. The group formed in 1990.

He has since turned to producing and worked on a track of Biggie's smalls debut album, Ready To Die  as well as a song on Dr. Dre's The Message.