It’s “99 Problems” and counting for Jay-Z and his record label.
A Manhattan judge has ordered him to testify under oath in defense of a federal lawsuit he was slapped with in 2012 by a man who designed the rap mogul’s iconic Roc-A-Fella records logo.
Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis recently approved clothing designer Dwayne Walker’s motion in Manhattan federal court to move forward with depositions and discovery in his copyright-infringement and breach-of-contract lawsuit against Jay-Z, Roc-A-Fella co-founder Damon Dash and Universal Music Group.
Walker alleges in the suit he’s owed more than $7 million for creating the label’s logo when Roc-A-Fella — now a subsidiary of Universal Music Group — was created in 1995.
Walker’s attorney Gregory Berry issued a statement hailing the judge’s March 18 order.
“For over 18 months, Jay Z and the other defendants have done everything they can to avoid swearing under oath to the events that led to the creation of the logo, ” he said. “With the decision, the defendants’ delay tactics must stop, and Mr. Walker’s quest for justice can move forward.”
Jay-Z’s reps did not return messages.