News of June 21, 2019
Tupac Estate Sues Universal Music with Soundgarden
Up to 500,000 titles destroyed: Why Tupac's estate went to court against Universal Music with Soundgarden in 2019 and what became of the master tapes.
When a warehouse on the Universal lot burned in 2008, the company publicly stated that there had been no loss. On June 11, 2019, The New York Times Magazine reported that up to 500,000 titles had been destroyed; a list published by the newspaper also named Tupac among those affected. On June 21, 2019, Soundgarden, Hole, Steve Earle, Tom Petty’s ex-wife, and Tom Whalley on behalf of the Afeni Shakur Trust, which manages Tupac’s estate, filed a class-action lawsuit against Universal Music Group. Billboard and Rolling Stone reported.
Plaintiffs Demand Half of the Multimillion-Dollar Payouts
The plaintiffs accuse Universal of downplaying the extent while the company received insurance and settlement payments of an alleged $150 million. They demand half of that amount, as well as half of uncovered losses, as their contracts allegedly provide.
Universal Gives the All-Clear, the Estate Withdraws
For Tupac’s estate, the dispute did not last long: in August, Universal stated that Tupac’s master tapes were not lost; in March 2020, the estate withdrew.