Re: Source Mag Fined For Publishing Eminem's Lyrics
A federal judge found The Source magazine in contempt for violating a court order not to publish alleged "racist lyrics" from a tape made by Eminem in his teen days.
U.S. District Judge Gerard Lynch issued a temporary restraining order in December 2003 barring The Source from publishing any lyrics from the recording. However, in violation of this order, the magazine's website, thesource.com, published the full lyrics in a flashy homepage presentation.
In a pair of rulings made public Wednesday, Lynch ordered The Source to pay legal fees to Shady Records Inc., Eminem's label. However, the judge denied Shady Record's request to fine the magazine thousands of dollars because the magazine responded quickly to a cease and desist order from Em's lawyers to remove the lyrics in January.
Ray Benzino and The Source magazine unveiled a suppressed audiotape of Eminem in which he allegedly made disparaging remarks about Black women at a press conference in November at New York's Millenium Hotel.
The second 30 second audio tape featured the alleged voice of Eminem saying, "Blacks and whites, they sometimes mix / But black girls only want your money, 'cause they're dumb chicks." Later in the freestyle Em raps, "Never date a black girl, because blacks only want your money / And that sh!t ain't funny."
Eminem released a statement in which he downplayed the tape as the "stupid" antics of a teenager.
"I did and said a lot of stupid sh!t when I was a kid, but that's part of growing up. The tape of me rapping 15 years ago as a teenager that was recently put out by The Source in no way represents who I was then or who I am today."
A lawyer for The Source spoke to the New York Times and defended the magazine's publication of the lyrics saying, "The Source had every right to publish the material it did release to inform the public about who Eminem is."
Judge Lynch also dismissed a countersuit filed by The Source against Shady Records and Eminem, in which the magazine claimed it held the rights to the songs.
Regarding Eminem, the judge stated "It is for fans of hip-hop, and not for this court, to decide what if anything this episode means for their opinions of Mathers as a man and as an artist."