Daniel Marino’s pockets just got $44 million heavier after winning big in a lawsuit over Usher’s “Bad Girl” track.
According to Rolling Stone, one of Usher’s standout tracks from his 2004’s Confessions album was spearheaded by Marino, who between 2001 and 2002 worked on a song titled “Club Girl.” The Philadelphia native claims he created the majority of the song’s “guitar hook, tempo, and chord progression.” When a similar song appeared on the diamond-certified album, the songwriter was not given any credit.
The lawsuit began in 2011 against Usher and 20 other defendants, namely the song co-writer William Guice. Citing a “breach of contract, fraud, and other accusations.”
According to the Associated Press, after this seven-year suit, Marino’s former co-writer Guice was ordered to pay $6.75 million in compensatory damages, along with $20.25 million in punitive damages last week at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Destro Music Productions, which is owned by co-defendant Dante Barton, will also pay Marino $17.35 million, which brings the lawsuit’s total to $44.35 million.
To make circumstances better, Daniel Marino now owns one-third of the rights of the song. This ruling comes just a week and a half after the singer released a new project with producer Zaytoven on Oct, 12.