In commemoration of Prince, a six-song EP called Deliverance was planned for release Friday, April 21 on the anniversary date of his passing. The album had been available for pre-order on iTunes and Apple Music, with the title track also available early. However, in response to lawsuit filed against the producer behind the EP, it was pulled Wednesday from iTunes, Apple Music and Google Play.
Prince’s Estate and Paisley Park are seeking control of the Deliverance tracks from sound engineer George Ian Boxill and accusing Boxill of refusing to return the tracks in violation with a contract he had made with Prince prior to his passing. The lawsuit estimates that the recordings are more than a $75,000 value. The contract with Prince allegedly stated that all recordings made during the Prince sessions would remain the artist’s sole and exclusive property.
Deliverance was planned to be released digitally by Rogue Music Alliance on April 21, with a physical version scheduled for release June 2. RMA has stated that all the tracks were co-written by Prince and Boxill, and Boxill completed the production and mixing after Prince’s passing.
In a statement to Billboard, Prince’s estate stated, “Mr. Boxill did not comply with his agreement. Instead, Mr. Boxill maintained copies of certain tracks, waited until after Prince’s tragic death, and is now attempting to release tracks without the authorization of the Estate and in violation of the agreement and applicable law.”
It is not clear when or if the EP will be available again, although it was already #1 for pre-order on Apple Music’s chart. Only Amazon and the project’s website, princerogersnelson.com, still has it available for pre-order, although title track is not available as it was through iTunes and Apple Music.
According to Pitchfork, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Prince estate, and Boxill has allegedly been ordered to return the recordings to the estate.
The Prince Estate has also been undergoing other difficulties, including Universal trying to back out of pricey deal. Also recently, more information on Prince’s overdose death was made available through several search warrants.
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