J. Cole appears ready for legal war with Cam’ron after hiring entertainment attorney Samantha W. Frankel from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP.
Frankel brings serious firepower to Cole’s defense team. The commercial litigation specialist is based in the firm’s New York office and focuses on complex entertainment disputes.
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp has deep roots in Hollywood’s legal battles. Founded in 1908, the firm built its reputation defending major studios and record labels in high-stakes entertainment litigation.
The century-old firm handled landmark cases that shaped the industry. They represented Warner Bros. in the Friends wrongful termination lawsuit and won a unanimous California Supreme Court decision.
MSK also led the charge against Napster in the groundbreaking file-sharing case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
Recent years brought more major victories for the firm. They successfully defended Netflix in copyright disputes and represented Dr. Luke in his legal battles.
The firm’s client roster reads like a who’s who of entertainment. They represent Drake, Dua Lipa, Post Malone and Daryl Hall. MSK also counts major record labels and production companies among its clients.
Cam’ron originally sued Cole and Universal Music Group in October 2025. The Harlem rapper claimed he was owed at least $500,000 in royalties from “Ready ’24,” which appeared on Cole’s Might Delete Later mixtape.
The lawsuit centered on a 2022 recording session in New York City. Cam’ron alleged Cole agreed to collaborate on a future single in exchange for using his vocals on “Ready ’24.”
According to court documents, Cole initially agreed to the collaboration deal but later backed out. Cole allegedly told Cam’ron in July 2023 that instead of recording a new song together, he wanted to appear on Cam’ron’s podcast It Is What It Is.
Cam’ron claimed Cole repeatedly said he was unavailable for the podcast between July 2023 and April 2024. Cole then released “Ready ’24” in April 2024 without fulfilling the collaboration agreement.
The original lawsuit stated Cam’ron was credited only as a co-composer on “Ready ’24,” not as a performer, even though his vocals appear on the track. He wanted a court to declare him a co-author of the sound recording and order an audit of the song’s royalties.
Cam’ron recently dismissed his claims against Universal Music Group without prejudice, meaning he could refile those claims later. However, he continued his legal battle against J. Cole and his company, Cole World Inc.
The timing of Cole’s legal preparation comes as he gears up for major career moves. The North Carolina rapper dropped four new freestyles yesterday in Birthday Blizzard ’26, hosted by DJ Clue and available on his website for just $1.
Cole’s highly anticipated album The Fall Off drops February 6, rumored to be his final studio project before retirement.
