Artists Say Their Voices Were Used Without Permission In The Viral 'Harlem Shake' Song
YouTube Two men who say they were shocked to hear their voices on the viral hit "Harlem Shake" want their share of the profits, The New York Times reports.
One of those men, Hector Delgado, abandoned his reggaetón career five years ago and is now an evangelical preacher in Puerto Rico, according to the Times.
The other is Philadelphia rapper Jayson Musson.
The Times reports the men said they didn't give their permission for their voices to be used in the song, which is now the soundtrack to a viral dance video. From The Times:
"[T]he tale of how an obscure dance track containing possible copyright violations rose to the top of pop charts illustrates not only the free-for-all nature of underground dance music but also the power of an Internet fad to create a sudden hit outside the major-label system."
Delgado's former manager, Javier Gómez, who says he first heard him on the song, told the Times Delgado will get the compensation he deserves.
"That’s a clear breaking of intellectual property rights,” Gómez told The Times.
The label behind the "Harlem Shake," Mad Decent Records, declined The Times' request for comment.