Birdman suing Jay Z's Tidal firm over Lil Wayne music release

Hip-hop mogul Bryan 'Birdman' Williams has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Jay Z, insisting he has no right to stream Lil Wayne's new album on his Tidal music app.

Lil Wayne has been fighting to be released from his contract with his Cash Money Records mentor Williams since January (15), when he initially filed a $51 million lawsuit over royalties he is reportedly owed for his long-delayed album, Tha Carter V.

The Lollipop hitmaker, real name Dwayne Carter, Jr., decided to treat fans waiting for the project to a free mixtape in celebration of the Independence Day holiday (04Jul15), and the Free Weezy Album was made available exclusively on Tidal, a month after it was revealed Wayne had joined the likes of Jay Z, Beyonce, Madonna and Nicki Minaj as co-owners of the music and video streaming venture.

Tidal representatives allege Wayne signed up as a shareholder in exchange for permission to stream the Free Weezy Album on the app - but Williams insists his estranged protege had no right to issue licenses for his music, as outlined in his Cash Money Records contract, and now he is seeking compensation.

Williams also takes a cheap shot at Jay Z and his fellow co-owners, stating the fledgling firm's bosses are resorting to "a desperate and illegal attempt to save their struggling streaming service" by exploiting Lil Wayne's fan base, according to TMZ.com.