Universal Music Group Conquers Copyright Lawsuit Over Mary J. Blige’s ‘Real Love’

Universal Music Group (UMG) can breathe a sigh of relief after the courts dismissed a lawsuit targeting their sampling of a classic track in Mary J. Blige‘s illustrious single “Real Love.” The ruling emerged from a judge’s determination that the two songs in question bear little resemblance to each other.

Legal documents reviewed by TMZ reveal that the court made a comparative analysis of “Real Love” and the 1973 protest funk song, “Impeach the President,” performed by The Honey Drippers.

TufAmerica, the rights holder for “Impeach the President,” claimed UMG had infringed upon their intellectual property by blending their work with another song that had initially sampled their track in “Real Love.”

However, the judge, employing what can only be described as ‘good eyes and common sense,’ concluded that the songs were starkly different; one resonating as a political anthem and the other as a poignant anthem of heartbreak.

The litigation, which commenced against UMG in April 2024, sought financial reparations, but Mary J. Blige herself was notably not named as a defendant.

In a twist of irony, “Impeach the President” has provided a sampling backbone for numerous notable hip hop classics, including Nas‘ “I Can,” J. Cole‘s “Wet Dreamz,” and even Audio Two’s “Top Billin” — the very track sampled in “Real Love!!!”