Topline
Rapper Dr. Dre sent a cease-and-desist to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Monday, his lawyer told Forbes, after the congresswoman used the music to his song “Still D.R.E.” in a Twitter video celebrating Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) long but successful bid last week to become Speaker of the House, which has since been removed by the social media site.
Dr. Dre performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 … [+]
Key Facts
On Monday morning, Greene posted a video to Twitter showing her walking through the halls of the Capitol building and taking a call appearing to be from former President Donald Trump, and showing the final vote count declaring McCarthy as the winner on Saturday, which she captioned “it’s time to begin.. and they can’t stop what’s coming.”
In a statement to Forbes, which was first reported by TMZ, Dr. Dre said “I don’t license my music to politicians, especially someone as divisive and hateful as this one.”
A lawyer for Dr. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Greene on behalf of his client, accusing her of copyright infringement for using the song.
Greene told TMZ she was locked out of her Twitter account, and while she appreciates the “creative chord progression,” she would “never play your words of violence against women and police officers, and your glorification of thug life and drugs.”
It’s not clear how long Greene was locked out of her Twitter account, as she shared a screenshot of the statement to TMZ in a post later on Monday, writing “the next episode,” the title of another Dr. Dre song.
Snoop Dogg, who is featured on both “Still D.R.E.” and “The Next Episode,” has not yet publicly commented on the drama.
Crucial Quote
“One might expect that, as a member of Congress, you would have a passing familiarity with the laws of our country. It’s possible, though, that laws governing intellectual property are a little too arcane and insufficiently populist for you to really have spent much time on,” Dre’s lawyer, Howard King wrote, in the cease-and-desist letter, which was obtained by Forbes. “We’re writing because we think an actual lawmaker should be making laws not breaking laws.”
Key Background
Some 15 rounds of voting were needed for McCarthy to secure the votes to become Speaker of the House, a process which consumed the House of Representatives last week and did not end until early in the morning Saturday. The process was drawn out by Greene’s colleagues, including Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), whom Greene previously had a close relationship with.
Tangent
This is not the first time one of Greene’s Twitter accounts has reportedly been suspended. Last year, her personal account was permanently suspended after she violated the company’s policy surrounding Covid-19 misinformation. However, the account was restored in November, once Elon Musk took control of Twitter.
Further Reading
Kevin McCarthy Elected House Speaker—Ending Historic Deadlock (Forbes)
Twitter Reinstates Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Personal Account After Bringing Back Trump (Forbes)
Even Marjorie Taylor Greene And Lauren Boebert Are Fighting Over McCarthy’s Speakership Bid (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/01/09/dr-dre-sent-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-a-cease-and-desist-for-using-his-song-in-a-twitter-video/