CHICAGO -- A deejay who was sued earlier this year by Kanye West to keep him from distributing some of West's unreleased songs has filed a countersuit against the rapper.
Eric "E-Smoove" Miller disputes West's contention that the two didn't have a contract. In Miller's lawsuit, he argues that West worked for and with Miller in the mid-1990s on recordings of 10 songs, including "Ho!!!" and "Stop Frontin'."
Attorneys for the Grammy-winning West claim Miller offered the songs to distributors using a fake contract with West's fake signature.
Miller's countersuit, filed Oct. 28, claims Miller co-authored the recordings and that West agreed Miller's company would own them.
West's lawsuit seeks at least $1.3 million and to ban Miller from using West's name or voice in connection with the recordings. His attorney, Philip Hoffman, said the countersuit is without merit because there has to be a written contract to use West's work or his name and there is no such agreement.
Miller, who owns Focus Music Group in Richton Park, is seeking $10.48 million and wants to be allowed to profit from the recordings.
