Rap Genius and the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) got off to a rough start. Upon learning last year that Rap Genius was the #1 lyrics site operating without licenses to publish lyrics, the NMPA sent the hip-hop lyric compendium a takedown notice. Now, however, it appears the two have reached an agreement and arranged a licensing deal.
Rap Genius-founder Ilan Zechory issued a positive statement about the pairing: “The NMPA’s members represent some of the best songwriters in the world. Rap Genius allows these songwriters to showcase their work and interact with their biggest fans in unprecedented ways—we couldn’t be more excited about this partnership.”
NMPA-head David Israelite also issued a statement, saying “today’s announcement is a welcome one, and I applaud Rap Genius for respecting the rights of songwriters and compensating them fairly for their work.”
[via Billboard]
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