Tracy Chapman will be able to buy a faster car this year after reaching a settlement in her copyright claim against Nicki Minaj.
According to court filings on Thursday, Minaj has agreed to pay $450,000 U.S. to Chapman for using her 1988 song “Baby Can I Hold You” in “Sorry,” a track Minaj was planning to include on her album Queen.
The rap star will also pay Chapman’s legal costs in the action, which was filed in October 2018.
The lawsuit claimed Minaj’s song “incorporates the lyrics and vocal melody of ['Baby Can I Hold You’], its most recognizable and memorable parts … without first seeking the authorization to do so.” Chapman alleged that at least half of “Sorry” is made up of her “lyrics and vocal melody.”
Minaj had pushed back the release of the album in hopes of getting Chapman's blessing to sample "Baby Can I Hold You” but then dropped it from the track list. It was later leaked to a New York radio DJ and found its way online.
Last September, a judge ruled that Minaj did not commit copyright infringement but said the case could go before a jury.
Chapman, 56, is best known for her 1988 hits "Fast Car" and "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" as well as 1995's "Give Me One Reason."