Chapman sued Minaj after the Queen artist interpolated one of her songs on an unreleased track.

Nicki Minaj has responded to a lawsuit made by Tracy Chapman last year. Chapman sued the rapper for copyright infringement, claiming that she interpolated her 1988 track "Baby Can I Hold You" for her unreleased song "Sorry" without her permission.

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In a report from The Blast, Minaj filed a response to the lawsuit in a California federal court on Feburary 22. She denied committing copyright infringement and also argued that her interpolation is protected by the doctrine of fair use.

The "Chun-Li" rapper also claimed that Chapman "has not properly registered her claim to the copyright in the Composition ['Baby Can I Hold You']," meaning that Chapman "is not the owner of the copyright in issue and therefore lacks standing to bring the claims alleged in the Complaint." Lastly, Minaj argued that Chapman is not entitled to damages.

The unreleased track, which features Nas, was reportedly axed from Queen due to sample clearances, as it leans on Shelly Thunder's "Sorry," itself heavily indebted to an interpolation of the opening lines to Chapman's "Baby Can I Hold You."

Last year, Minaj made a very public plea to Chapman, asking the singer, "Tracy Chapman, can you please hit me." Still, Minaj dropped the track, resulting in Chapman suing her.

Source: The Blast