Hov adds that it is "ironic that a photographer would treat the image of a formerly-unknown Black teenager, now wildly successful, as a piece of property to be squeezed for every dollar it can produce. Images include the Reasonable Doubt portrait of Jay-Z in a suit, wearing a wide-brimmed hat with his head bent down and holding a cigar. On, there are currently prints of Jay-Z listed at a price of $50.
However, Jay notes that he is very strict about the use of his "name, likeness, identity and persona," which he did not give Mannion permission to use for himself. Jay additionally claims that Mannion uses images of Jigga on the main page of his website where the hip-hop photog sells Jay-Z pictures and merchandise. Back then, Jay's label, Roc-A-Fella Records, used some of the images for Jay-Z's first album and compensated Mannion for them. When Mannion took the pictures of Hov in the mid-1990s, the lauded rapper says the photographer took hundreds of photos at the time. Jigga has also accused Mannion of making an "arrogant assumption that because he took those photographs, he can do with them as he pleases." The photographer has reportedly refused to stop selling the images. In fact, when Jay asked Mannion to stop using his photos, the photographer allegedly demanded tens of millions of dollars. "The amount in controversy, exclusive of interest and costs, exceeds $75,000," the suit reads.Īdditionally, Jay-Z claims that he never gave Mannion permission to use his images. Jay has also accused the famed photographer of having the rapper's name all over his website and selling images of Hov for thousands of dollars. Fast-forward 25 years, and Hov is suing Mannion for exploitation stemming from images from that same photoshoot.Īccording to legal documents filed on Tuesday (June 15) and obtained by XXL today, the Roc Nation boss is suing Jonathan Mannion and his company, Jonathan Mannion Photography, LLC, over claims that Mannion is utilizing Jigga's name and image without his permission. Over two decades ago, J ay-Z hired New York City-based photographer Jonathan Mannion to shoot the cover for his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, back in 1996. Mannion's right to sell fine art prints of his copyrighted works, and will review the complaint and respond in due course." Mannion has yet to comment on the lawsuit.Mannion's lawyer adds: "We are confident that the First Amendment protects Mr. JAY-Z, who is known for strictly controlling how and when his name and likeness can be used, is demanding an injunction to halt Mannion from continuing to sell the photos, while he also wants the photographer to hand over any profits made from the old shots. In the documents, he goes on to note, “(It’s) ironic that a photographer would treat the image of a formerly-unknown Black teenager, now wildly successful, as a piece of property to be squeezed for every dollar it can produce. Now JAY-Z, real name Shawn Carter, is taking the case to court, arguing Mannion, who is white, is making an “arrogant assumption that because he took those photographs, he can do with them as he pleases”. However, the Empire State of Mind hitmaker claims Mannion has since been trying to profit off of the remaining images without his permission, selling the shots via his company website, Jonathan Mannion Photography LLC, where JAY-Z’s name and likeness are prominently displayed.Īccording to California legal papers obtained by TMZ, the hip-hop superstar claims he previously approached Mannion and asked him to stop using his image, but the photographer allegedly only agreed to do so if he was paid tens of millions of dollars. The snapper took hundreds of images during the session, with officials at JAY-Z’s then-label, Roc-A-Fella Records, paying Mannion for the use of the pictures selected. The rap mogul hired Jonathan Mannion to shoot the iconic black-and-white cover of his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt, which has since gone on to become a hip-hop classic. JAY-Z is taking the photographer behind his debut album cover art to court, amid allegations of unauthorised use of his likeness.
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