News of November 21, 2023
Lawsuit Over “Dear Mama”: Producer Master Tee Demands Recognition
A bus driver for 26 years, once a producer: Terrence Thomas, alias DJ Master Tee, demands recognition in court for Tupac's hit “Dear Mama”.
For 26 years, Terrence Thomas has worked as a bus driver in New York. In November 2023, the musician, who performed as a DJ and producer under the name Master Tee, filed a copyright lawsuit over Tupac’s song “Dear Mama”. Thomas claims he was substantially involved in the beat and in the song’s creation, but was never properly credited as an author or given a share of the rights. As evidence, he cites old interviews with Tupac and handwritten credits that name him.
The Lawsuit Targets Pizarro, Universal, and Disney
He accuses a “self-serving group” around well-known producer Tony Pizarro as well as executives at Universal Music Group and Interscope of securing credit for themselves while Tupac was in prison and after his death. As defendants, the lawsuit also names Disney and the Hughes brothers, the directors of the series Dear Mama.
The allegations have not been resolved in court. The further status of the proceedings is documented in the report of June 7, 2024.