Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson faces legal proceedings from music producer Ty Fyffe, who alleges unauthorised use of a 1998 hip-hop track in promotional content for the boxer’s November 2024 bout with Jake Paul.
The complaint, lodged on Thursday, centres on Tyson’s alleged inclusion of “Murdergram” in an Instagram training video without securing proper permissions.
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Mike Tyson is facing a huge lawsuit over the usage of the song ‘Murdergram’
Fyffe, who co-wrote and produced the song for the Streets Is Watching soundtrack, maintains that neither he nor his representatives granted authorisation for its use.
According to court documents, the producer asserts that Tyson’s Instagram post featured “Murdergram” as background music whilst the boxer trained in preparation for his match against Paul.
Screenshots included in the legal filing show the video bore the caption “You know what time it is #PaulTyson”.
“Neither plaintiff nor any of his representatives granted defendant Tyson permission to use the song title ‘Murdergram’ to promote his boxing match with Jake Paul,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit further alleges that by featuring the track, Tyson created a false impression that Fyffe had endorsed or was connected with the boxing match.
Fyffe contends that the unauthorised track usage contributed to the fight’s massive viewership, which exceeded 100 million live viewers and set Netflix streaming records.
The producer references reports indicating Tyson received over $20 million for the bout and claims the match’s publicity enhanced sales of the boxer’s merchandise and cannabis ventures.
The legal filing demands compensation including a portion of Tyson’s earnings from the fight, alongside royalties for the track’s usage in the promotional post.
“Defendant Tyson’s conduct was intentional, willful and with full knowledge of plaintiff’s copyright in the song,” the complaint asserts, adding that Fyffe has endured and will continue experiencing financial losses due to the infringement.
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The 1998 track holds particular significance in hip-hop history as one of the rare collaborations between Jay-Z, DMX and Ja Rule during their brief attempt to establish a supergroup under the Murder Inc. banner.
Released through Murder Inc. for Jay-Z’s Streets Is Watching film, the song represents one of their most memorable joint efforts, though the collective never fully materialised.
Neither Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule nor their representatives are participants in the current legal action against Tyson.
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