Drake: I Did Not Promise 'Marvin's Room' Woman Money

Drake performs at UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Drake has responded to a lawsuit from a woman claiming royalties for his hit song "Marvin's Room," saying that he doesn't think she is owed anything for her contribution to the song. According to the rapper's official legal papers, Ericka Lee – the woman whose voice can be heard as a voicemail recording on the track – "consented to the use of her voice in the song 'Marvin's Room' for no compensation."

Drake has also denied Lee's claims that the two had a romantic relationship and that he threatened her over her complaints about not being paid for the song. A representative for Drake responded to Lee's suit last month, saying it was "entirely without merit."

According to papers filed by Lee in Los Angeles in February, she and Drake had a romantic and business relationship between early 2010 and mid-2011. Lee claims the two traded poems and lyrics over the course of their relationship and discussed collaborative projects, including the song "Marvin's Room." According to Lee, she was originally intended to record a hook for the track and perform a monologue that would frame the lyrics. Lee is seeking a co-writing credit for the song as well as undisclosed damages.

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Drake: I Did Not Promise 'Marvin's Room' Woman Money

Drake performs at UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Drake has responded to a lawsuit from a woman claiming royalties for his hit song "Marvin's Room," saying that he doesn't think she is owed anything for her contribution to the song. According to the rapper's official legal papers, Ericka Lee – the woman whose voice can be heard as a voicemail recording on the track – "consented to the use of her voice in the song 'Marvin's Room' for no compensation."

Drake has also denied Lee's claims that the two had a romantic relationship and that he threatened her over her complaints about not being paid for the song. A representative for Drake responded to Lee's suit last month, saying it was "entirely without merit."

According to papers filed by Lee in Los Angeles in February, she and Drake had a romantic and business relationship between early 2010 and mid-2011. Lee claims the two traded poems and lyrics over the course of their relationship and discussed collaborative projects, including the song "Marvin's Room." According to Lee, she was originally intended to record a hook for the track and perform a monologue that would frame the lyrics. Lee is seeking a co-writing credit for the song as well as undisclosed damages.

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The Promise Ring Reunite at Milwaukee's Turner Hall

The Promise Ring Reunite at Milwaukee's Turner Hall.

In the realm of Nineties indie-rock revivals, the reunion of Milwaukee emo institution the Promise Ring is neither as contentious as Pavement's nor as unlikely as Neutral Milk Hotel figurehead Jeff Mangum’s sudden return to touring. After all, half of the Promise Ring (guitarist and lead singer Davey von Bohlen and drummer Dan Didier) currently play together in the fine guitar-pop band Maritime. Friday’s hometown show at Turner Hall – the Promise Ring’s first since a one-off gig in 2005, which came just three years after the group’s break-up – was a suitably spirited yet agreeably casual affair. This was fitting for an unassuming band that’s still better known for the generation of sensitive-guy bands it influenced (including Death Cab For Cutie, Jimmy Eat World, and Dashboard Confessional) than its own impressive discography.

Back in the late Nineties, The Promise Ring specialized in melodic, post-adolescent pop-punk that served up smart hooks and angsty lyrics. Now the band members are inching toward 40 and – judging by the spritely tots seen dancing in the wings – experiencing the joys of childrearing. Von Bohlen bounded around the stage with the abandon of a hard-rocking dad, even as he valiantly waged a losing battle with his battered vocal cords, which he admitted were "a little shot" and feeling tired after a "friends and family" dress rehearsal the night before.

For "Nothing Feels Good," the title track from the band’s career-best 1997 effort, von Bohlen’s haggard delivery actually served the poignantly yearning song well, recalling the aching resonance of the record. "As I get quieter I need you to get louder," von Bohlen said later, begging the audience to sing along as the band dipped deeper into its back catalog. Not that von Bohlen needed to beg – by the time the Promise Ring kicked into the anthemic "Is This Thing On?" the band’s oldest fans were dancing excitedly and kicking up the show’s energy several notches.

The Promise Ring’s zippiest, poppiest numbers predictably went over the best with this crowd. While the ballad "Become One Anything One Time" from the polarizing 2002 swan song Wood/Water remains a very pretty would-be prom-night classic, it was received as a cue to hit the bar until something more upbeat came along.

Clearly, even something of early ’00s vintage was too far out of the Nineties emo comfort zone on this night. (The audience even reacted enthusiastically to a Texas Is The Reason reference.) The Promise Ring made sure to generously pile on the chunky riffs and impassioned choruses, playing 26 songs for more than 100 minutes. "When we were kids we’d play for 30 minutes," von Bohlen admitted. "Tonight we’re going to play until you want us to leave." Performing a battery of classics like a well-rehearsed touring act ready to return to the road, the Promise Ring appear poised to play long and hard for its still-devoted fanbase in the months ahead.

The Promise Ring's setlist at Turner Hall:

"Size of Your Life"

"Happiness is All the Rage"

"Emergency Emergency"

"Jersey Shore"

"Red & Blue Jeans"

"Make Me a Mixtape"

"Between Pacific Coasts"

"A Picture Postcard"

"Become One Anything One Time"

"Skips a Beat"

"The Deep South"

"Happy Hour"

"Stop Playing Guitar"

"Nothing Feels Good"

"Is This Thing On?"

"Perfect Lines"

"B Is For Bethlehem"

"E. Texas Ave"

"Tell Everyone We're Dead"

"My Life Is At Home"

"Get On the Floor"

"Feed the Night"

"Why Did Ever We Meet"

"Red Paint"

"Everywhere in Denver"

"Forget Me"

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The Promise Ring Reunite at Milwaukee's Turner Hall

The Promise Ring Reunite at Milwaukee's Turner Hall.

In the realm of Nineties indie-rock revivals, the reunion of Milwaukee emo institution the Promise Ring is neither as contentious as Pavement's nor as unlikely as Neutral Milk Hotel figurehead Jeff Mangum’s sudden return to touring. After all, half of the Promise Ring (guitarist and lead singer Davey von Bohlen and drummer Dan Didier) currently play together in the fine guitar-pop band Maritime. Friday’s hometown show at Turner Hall – the Promise Ring’s first since a one-off gig in 2005, which came just three years after the group’s break-up – was a suitably spirited yet agreeably casual affair. This was fitting for an unassuming band that’s still better known for the generation of sensitive-guy bands it influenced (including Death Cab For Cutie, Jimmy Eat World, and Dashboard Confessional) than its own impressive discography.

Back in the late Nineties, The Promise Ring specialized in melodic, post-adolescent pop-punk that served up smart hooks and angsty lyrics. Now the band members are inching toward 40 and – judging by the spritely tots seen dancing in the wings – experiencing the joys of childrearing. Von Bohlen bounded around the stage with the abandon of a hard-rocking dad, even as he valiantly waged a losing battle with his battered vocal cords, which he admitted were "a little shot" and feeling tired after a "friends and family" dress rehearsal the night before.

For "Nothing Feels Good," the title track from the band’s career-best 1997 effort, von Bohlen’s haggard delivery actually served the poignantly yearning song well, recalling the aching resonance of the record. "As I get quieter I need you to get louder," von Bohlen said later, begging the audience to sing along as the band dipped deeper into its back catalog. Not that von Bohlen needed to beg – by the time the Promise Ring kicked into the anthemic "Is This Thing On?" the band’s oldest fans were dancing excitedly and kicking up the show’s energy several notches.

The Promise Ring’s zippiest, poppiest numbers predictably went over the best with this crowd. While the ballad "Become One Anything One Time" from the polarizing 2002 swan song Wood/Water remains a very pretty would-be prom-night classic, it was received as a cue to hit the bar until something more upbeat came along.

Clearly, even something of early ’00s vintage was too far out of the Nineties emo comfort zone on this night. (The audience even reacted enthusiastically to a Texas Is The Reason reference.) The Promise Ring made sure to generously pile on the chunky riffs and impassioned choruses, playing 26 songs for more than 100 minutes. "When we were kids we’d play for 30 minutes," von Bohlen admitted. "Tonight we’re going to play until you want us to leave." Performing a battery of classics like a well-rehearsed touring act ready to return to the road, the Promise Ring appear poised to play long and hard for its still-devoted fanbase in the months ahead.

The Promise Ring's setlist at Turner Hall:

"Size of Your Life"

"Happiness is All the Rage"

"Emergency Emergency"

"Jersey Shore"

"Red & Blue Jeans"

"Make Me a Mixtape"

"Between Pacific Coasts"

"A Picture Postcard"

"Become One Anything One Time"

"Skips a Beat"

"The Deep South"

"Happy Hour"

"Stop Playing Guitar"

"Nothing Feels Good"

"Is This Thing On?"

"Perfect Lines"

"B Is For Bethlehem"

"E. Texas Ave"

"Tell Everyone We're Dead"

"My Life Is At Home"

"Get On the Floor"

"Feed the Night"

"Why Did Ever We Meet"

"Red Paint"

"Everywhere in Denver"

"Forget Me"

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Chris Brown Using 'I Promise Not to Beat You' as a Pickup Line

Chris Brown performs at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Chris Brown has reportedly begun using "Can I get your number? I promise I won't beat you!" as a pickup line. A source has told Us Weekly that the singer used the line on a woman at a Grammy gift lounge on Friday. "He and his friends laughed, then one yelled, 'That's his new line!' Ugh! I wanted to throw up!" says the source.

"I'd be surprised if Chris said something that stupid," a representative for Brown told Us.

Brown, 22, pleaded guilty in 2009 for felony assault for beating his then-girlfriend Rihanna before the Grammys. He is currently finishing his sentence for the crime, which included mandatory anger management courses, community service and supervised probation. Last year, the singer had a violent outburst backstage at Good Morning America after host Robin Roberts asked him questions about the domestic violence incident. He also was embroiled in a homophobic Twitter feud with former B2K member Raz-B.

Brown's most recent album, F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies), has been a major commercial success, winning the Grammy for Best R&B Album, but the singer's reputation has been damaged considerably by his domestic violence conviction. Regardless, many members of the star's young female audience have expressed a troubling indifference to his rage issues on Twitter.

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