Universal Music Group scored a victory in court after a lawsuit alleged Mary J. Blige’s 1992 hit “Real Love” unlawfully sampled The Honey Drippers’ Impeach the President. A New York judge ruled the two songs weren’t “substantially similar,” marking an important precedent in ongoing battles over hip-hop’s use of samples. The ruling is seen as a win not just for UMG but for artists defending their creative use of hip-hop’s foundational art form.
