French Montana Receives Threat of a Copyright Lawsuit
A member of the late ’90s rap group Hot Boys is threatening to sue French Montana for copyright infringement, claiming the chorus to his 2021 track “Handstand” directly copies a 20-word block of lyrics from a 1999 song.
In a May 4 cease-and-desist letter obtained by Billboard, an attorney for Turk said Montana’s song featured two lines of lyrics that were lifted almost word-for-word from the Hot Boys song “I Need A Hot Girl,” which reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 2000.
In the letter, the attorney for Turk (whose real name is Tab Virgil Jr.) said he would file a lawsuit unless a settlement could be reached over the 2021 song, which was released with Doja Cat and featured Saweetie. Talks to resolve the situation are already being planned, a source tells Billboard.
