By Michael Lopez
We all remember Daddy Yankee's #1 smash "Rompe." Lifted from his Barrio Fino en Directo album, it dominated Billboard's Rap, Latin, and Tropical charts. But now, nearly six years after it was released, a Mexican musician is claiming that El Big Boss stole the music portion of the track.
We all remember Daddy Yankee's #1 smash "Rompe." Lifted from his Barrio Fino en Directo album, it dominated Billboard's Rap, Latin, and Tropical charts. But now, nearly six years after it was released, a Mexican musician is claiming that El Big Boss stole the music portion of the track.
Songwriter David Moser filed a lawsuit against Yankee last week in Illinois, seeking over $150,000 in damages from the success of "Rompe." And if he wins, he could be in for an ongoing stream of revenue. Not only was "Rompe" a hit on the charts, it also has been featured on shows like Entourage and in the video game, True Crime: New York. So that means big royalties for years to come. But does Moser's suit have any merit?
That's the tricky part. Moser claims that his 1998 song "Anoche" has elements that are virtually identical to "Rompe." His paperwork lists melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic similarities between the two songs. But unlike the copyright suitthat Shakira is going through, it appears as though Moser and Yankee have never actually worked together, which may make the case harder to prove.
We've also got to wonder what took Moser so long to file the suit? Yankee has released three more albums since "Rompe" stormed the charts. But nevertheless, it will be an interesting story to follow, especially when you imagine a courtroom blasting El Big Boss through the loudspeakers.
