Usher was the biggest R&B star in the early 00's. Many believe that he was the last true R&B sensation to influence the game before singers started rapping and autotune arrived. His album Confessions produced several bangers, including "Yeah!," "Burn," "Caught Up," "Handle It," and "Bad Girl." The latter single was tangled up in a lengthy legal battle, but the lawsuit has finally been settled.
Philadelphia songwriter Daniel Marino is finally getting paid the money he deserves. As reported by Billboard, Marino proved that he wrote the guitar hook, tempo, and chord progression for a song called “Club Girl.” The track was ultimately turned into Usher's "Bad Girl," off Confessions. The album is one of the best selling R&B projects of all time, and Marino wasn't about to lose his creation.
Marino claimed that he was not paid profits for constructing the song along with his former co-songwriter William Guice. Guice was ordered to pay Marino $6.75 million in compensatory damages, and $20.25 million in punitive damages. Destro Music Productions, owned by co-defendant Dante Barton, also agreed to pay Marino $17.35 million. In total, that leaves Marino with $44.35 million. Although the song was performed by Usher, he was not named in the lawsuit.