September 24, 2025
A copyright infringement lawsuit against Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love” has been dismissed.
Universal Music Group helped Mary J. Blige avoid any damage to the legacy of her 1992 hit “Real Love” by getting a copyright infringement lawsuit dismissed.
On Sept. 23, Tuff City Records suffered a setback when U.S. District Judge Dale Ho ruled that Blige’s “Real Love” was not substantially similar to the Honey Drippers’ 1973 track “Impeach the President,” Reuters reports. As a result, the lawsuit, which did not directly involve Blige, was dismissed.
Tuff City, which claims to own tens of thousands of music copyrights spanning blues, R&B, jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, New Orleans, and Latin music, sued UMG last year. The label alleged that Blige’s “Real Love” used a drum part from “Impeach the President” without proper clearance.
The label is no stranger to dismissed copyright infringement lawsuits, having filed suits against high-profile artists, including the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West (also known as Ye), and Frank Ocean. Lawsuits against the Beastie Boys and Jay-Z were later dismissed. Tuff City settled its dispute with Ye’s label, and two months after filing, it dropped its lawsuit against Ocean’s label.
”Real Love” was a major hit early in Blige’s career. From her debut album, What’s the 411?, the song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1992.
With the lawsuit dropped, Blige can now concentrate on more pressing legal matters, including her ongoing $5 million court battle with former stylist and longtime friend Misa Hylton. Blige is accused of interfering with a management deal between Hylton’s agency, M.I.S.A. Management, and rapper Vado, withholding his completed album and blocking touring opportunities to pressure him into severing ties with Hylton.
In July, Blige fired back at Hylton’s “frivolous” lawsuit, calling it a ploy from a “non-existent entity” to force a settlement out of the Grammy-winning singer.
“Plaintiffs and their counsel appear to enjoy fabricating accusations that will be discussed in the press and on social media for the purposes of harassing Defendants and trying to coerce a favorable settlement,” Blige’s lawyer, Sarah M. Matz, said in a statement.
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