Madlib is a legend. You'd be hard-pressed to make a list of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time without writing down his name. He's no slouch in the rapping department, either but he prefers to use the name "Lord Quas," or "Quasimoto," when he grabs the mic. Well, he did. Madlib is currently involved in a legal battle that could see him lose the rights to the "Lord Quas" character. This would mean he not only has to relinquish the name, but the yellow cartoon that has served as his de facto logo. The one that fans have come to know and love on beloved albums like Yessir, Whatever and Bandana.
The man suing Madlib is Keith Griego, who created the "Lord Quas" character for the producer's 1999 single "Microphone Mathematics." Madlib continued to use the character and the cartoon depiction of him, however, without reportedly compensating Griego properly.
Ethan Jacobs, Griego's attorney, put out a statement detailing his client's grievances. "Mr. Griego was gratified to see that Madlib appreciated his Lord Quas character so much," he wrote. "At the same time, he was hurt that [Madlib] continued to use it without compensation, attribution, or permission." The artist said his attempts to work out a deal with the producer's legal reps never went anywhere.
Griego seeks compensation for the two decades in which Madlib used his creation. "Mr. Griego brings this action to seek compensation," the suit explains. "For Defendants’ intentional copyright infringement and to obtain an injunction against their further infringement of his copyright." Furthermore, he wants to file an injunction to keep the producer from further "misuse" of the character. He also asserted that the federal trademark obtained by Madlib Invazion, LLC be invalidated due to the fact that it was not permitted upon registeration.
Madlib told Rolling Stone that "Lord Quas" came about during a drug trip. He noted that the specificity of the character, and his musical persona, was what made it difficult to revive him for the comeback album Yessir, Whatever. "It takes time. It has to be on a different level," he noted. "The shrooms were the stuff that made me do Quasimoto in the first place. Hopefully, I get back on that level." Madlib announced plans for another "Lord Quas" album in 2016, but nearly a decade has passed and its nowhere to be found. It's safe to assume Madlib's legal complications have played a role in the album's delay.
Ghostface Killah is a legend in any time period. He's dominated other artists for over three decades, and he's gone head-to-head with the likes of Biggie and Nas. Ghost's reputation is bulletproof (insert wallets joke here), which would probably intimidate any rapper who attempted to collaborate with him. Kendrick Lamar is the exception to the rule, apparently. Ghostface Killah talked about his 2022 song with Lamar, "Purple Hearts," and how impressed he was with the latter's work ethic. He was so impressed, in fact, that he upped his game.
Ghostface recounted the collab during a recent appearance on the Juan Epstein podcast. He was asked about the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar (because everybody is these days), and he redirected the convo to "Purple Hearts." The Wu-Tang rapper was "honored" to contribute to Lamar's double album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. "He put his call in and it was like, 'Yo, okay. This is one of them names,'" he recalled. "I ain’t take him lightly because his wordplay, his style, y’know what I mean? Now, I just gotta do what I feel."
Ghostface knew that he couldn't phone in a verse, however. He put down his bars for "Purple Hearts," then decided to write and record a second verse just in case. He wanted to make sure Lamar was happy with the final product, so he gave him multiple options. "[These young guys] can really, really rhyme," he explained. "That’s why when I did the record with Kendrick, it was like, 'Okay… I sat with it and was like — I sent him two verses. I sent him a 'just in case' one. Like, 'N**ga, if that don’t go, this one [will].'"
This isn't the first time Ghostface Killah has praised the Compton rapper. During a 2022 interview with Billboard, Ghost gave Kendrick Lamar his flowers and singled him out as one of the best of his generation along with J. Cole. "For a lot these [fans] in the younger generation, [their favorite], it’s either Kendrick or J. Cole," he noted. "I gave him his praises, and he boomeranged that sh*t back." This was well before the Big Three battle, but it's safe to assume Ghost's high opinion of Lamar is even higher now. The rapper's victory has even led to Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers re-entering the Billboard 200.
