Drake Embroiled in Lawsuit

Producer says Drake and Kia Shine ripped him off.

Hip-hop star DRAKE has become embroiled in a lawsuit over his song BEST I EVER HAD - two producers are squabbling over royalty payments from the track.

New York-based DJ Absolut, real name Shaune Muir, has filed suit claiming he is owed royalties because a beat he created was allegedly used in the 2009 hit without his permission. 

Muir alleges he handed his composition to Kia Shine in 2008 after the rapper/producer agreed to give him 20 per cent of any royalty payments made from the beat's use, but he had no idea the music had allegedly been used in Drake's song until he heard it on the radio. 

The legal papers, obtained by the New York Daily News, claim Shine has earned $1 million (£697,137) from Best I Ever Had after secretly agreeing a deal to receive a 25 per cent stake of the track's copyright. 

Muir's legal representatives filed a breach of contract lawsuit at Queens Supreme Court last week (end06Jun10) after reportedly failing to get in contact with Shine, real name Nakia Coleman. 

Muir's lawyer, Brian Levy, says, "Kia Shine needs to uphold his end of the agreement. It wasn't my client's desire to resort to legal action to get him to do it. We've reached out to him, but he has not chosen to respond."

Drake has previously publicly denied Shine had anything to do with Best I Ever Had.