Chicago Producer Files $10 Million CounterClaim Against Kanye West
by jlee

Chicago, Illinois producer Eric “E-Smoove” Miller and his label, Focus Music Group, have filed a $10 million dollar counterclaim against superstar rapper Kanye West regarding several recordings West allegedly produced when he was younger.

In August, West filed a suit alleging that Miller and Focus Music Group created fake documents, forged his signature and tried to sell songs he recorded before he was 18.

Miller is seeking $10,485,000 in damages in the counter lawsuit, claiming that West recorded and co-produced eight vocals and two instrumentals for an album to be released through the label.

Miller’s suit states that West served as an associate producer for the label until 1996 and that the rapper turned 18 before he recorded the tracks.

Miller and his label also maintain that West agreed that FMG would own the Masters to the recordings.

Miller has produced recordings for Janet Jackson, Total, Michael Jackson, Al Jareau, Marvin Gaye and others.

In 2001 he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his remix of Sunshine Anderson’s hit “Heard it All Before.”

The lawsuit is requesting Miller the right to use the Masters without West’s consent

Miller is represented by Randolph D. Phifer, Esq., the Managing Partner at Phifer & White, P.C. in Detroit, Michigan, consultant Jeffrey H. Brown, Esq., a partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Chicago, Illinois and consultant Joseph A. Spiriti Jr., Esq. of Joseph A. Spiriti Jr., P.A. in Miami, Florida.