Billboard
The release came as Lil Wayne has been embroiled in drama with his record label Cash Money and its CEO,Bryan "Birdman" Williams.
According to TMZ, Cash Money struck back on Thursday with a $50 million lawsuit against Tidal.
In January, Lil Wayne sued Cash Money in excess of $51 million while also requesting freedom from the label. Lil Wayne's legal team claimed the label breached his contract by withholding money he's owed for his album 'Tha Carter V,' which was due to release months ago but was withheld by the label.
Cash Money is suing Tidal for streaming the aptly-named 'Free Weezy Album,' claiming they have exclusive rights to Lil Wayne's music, and saying it's "a desperate and illegal attempt to save their struggling streaming service."
According to the lawsuit, Tidal has defended its actions by claiming Lil Wayne gave them permission to stream the album in exchange for partial ownership of the company. But according to Cash Money, Lil Wayne's contract has exact wording specifically forbidding the artist from licensing his music to other parties without their consent.
Billboard
The major lawsuit comes directly after an indictment earlier on Thursday of Birdman and Young Thug and their supposed involvement in a alleged plot to kill Lil' Wayne in Atlanta. Jimmy Winfrey a.k.a Peewee Roscoe, Young Thug's tour manager has been charged with the shooting itself, while Birdman and Young Thug received no official charges.
Business Insider has reached out to Tidal for comment and will update the story if/when we receive a response.