Rita Ora, pop star and coach on "The Voice U.K.," filed a lawsuit in a California court Thursday against Jay Z's Roc Nation, TheWrap reported. The "Body On Me" singer asked to be released from her "oppressive" recording contract, which was signed in 2008 when she was just 18 years old, because of a lack of support she's received from label executives.
"When Rita signed, Roc Nation and its senior executives were very involved with her as an artist," the complaint stated, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "As Roc Nation's interests diversified, there were fewer resources available and the company suffered a revolving door of executives. Rita's remaining supporters at the label left or moved on to other activities, to the point where she no longer had a relationship with anyone at the company."
The suit cites Jay Z's Tidal music streaming service as one of the projects that took the spotlight away from Ora's music career. It also claims that the contract allowed Roc Nation to own a large amount of Ora's income, and she was forced to fund her own music video, recording studio time and appearances.
She's asking for a clean break under California's "seven year rule," which states that personal service contracts can not be enforced after seven years, Rolling Stone reported. The labor code was put in place in 1944 after actress Olivia de Havilland fought to be released from Warner Bros.
"Rita is very excited to be moving on with her recording career and is grateful that California law gives her the right to do so," Ora's lawyer Howard King said. "She appreciates that there are lots of great people at Roc Nation, starting with the impresario himself, Jay-Z, but the relationship with the record label has run its course."
