Shabba Ranks Sues Greensleeves Records to Reclaim Publishing Catalog

Shabba Ranks wants his catalog back, and he is using federal law to get it. Born Rexton Gordon, the dancehall icon filed a lawsuit against the publishing arm of reggae imprint Greensleeves Records on Friday (Sept. 11), invoking U.S. copyright termination provisions to claw back his most lucrative work. Billboard first obtained and reported the filing. The slate under dispute covers Gordon’s commercial prime, including Billboard Hot 100 staples “Slow and Sexy,” “Housecall,” “Mr. Loverman,” and “Let’s Get It On.” Crucially, the lawsuit also targets his 1990 track “Dem Bow” — the blueprint whose namesake rhythm became the financial and structural backbone of modern reggaetón. That specific composition remains at the center of an expansive, long-running copyright infringement dispute currently entangling several major Latin music stars. Copyright termination statutes exist to allow creators to reclaim intellectual property decades after signing early contracts. For decades, Caribbean pioneers watched international operations monetize their sonic architecture while retaining control of the underlying equity. Greensleeves holding the keys to Gordon’s core masterworks was never sustainable, and taking legal action to claw back “Dem Bow” right now is the sharpest leverage play he could make.