Pharrell Williams and Rick Rubin sat down for a lengthy interview for GQ, discussing everything from Shazam to the "Blurred Lines" copyright lawsuit. Following the release of Robin Thicke's controversial track, which also featured T.I., the three musicians were sued by Marvin Gaye's estate for allegedly infringing on the copyright of "Got to Give It Up," which Thicke personally cited as an influence. Thicke and Williams, but not T.I., were found liable for copyright infringement in 2015, setting a precedent for similar lawsuits in the music industry.
Speaking with Rubin, Pharrell opened up about how the lawsuit made him feel and why he still disagrees with the verdict. Following the outcome of the lawsuit, Pharrell said it "hurt" his feelings. "I would never take anything from anyone," he told Rubin at the 28:00 point of the interview. "It really sent me back." He added that there was definitely a similar "feeling" between the two songs, but he maintains his belief that copyright was not breached on the record. "A feeling is not something you can copyright," Rubin responded.
The super-producer made it clear that he agreed with Pharrell. "It's bad for music," Rubin said of the outcome. "We've had an understanding of what a song is, and now, based on that one case, there's a question of what a song is. It's not what it used to be. In the past, it would be the chords, the melody, and the words. Your chords your melody and your words; none of them had anything do with [Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up']."
“It was too beautiful, and it was igniting people in a way.” —@Pharrell on rap
His full epic conversation with @RickRubin: https://t.co/O2mJZCzZcS pic.twitter.com/mq33Luno0h
Watch the full interview above.
