News of August 22, 2019
Universal: Tupac's Master Tapes Were Not Destroyed
No damage, no standing: According to Universal, Tupac, Tom Petty and Steve Earle lost no irreplaceable original tapes in the 2008 fire.
In the class action lawsuit over the 2008 warehouse fire, Universal Music Group went on the offensive. According to a sworn declaration from August 21, 2019, reported by Billboard on August 22, Tupac, Tom Petty, and Steve Earle did not lose any irreplaceable original tapes in the fire. UMG attorney Scott Edelman thereby questioned the legal standing of these plaintiffs.
Hole Dropped Out, Soundgarden Was Still Reviewing
Edelman submitted emails showing that the plaintiffs’ attorneys had already been informed in July and August. In the case of the group Hole, this had occurred as early as June 20, one day before the lawsuit was filed. On August 16, the attorneys had therefore removed the band Hole from the lawsuit. For Soundgarden, the only other plaintiff, the review was still ongoing.
The Estate Left the Proceedings in 2020
The Tupac estate is not quoted in the report. The background is covered in the report from June 21. On March 13, 2020, the estate withdrew its lawsuit.