Fergie, will.i.am, Eminem + More Songwriter Royalties

In April 1988, a trio from Rialto, California released a record built on an 808 and a DX7 that became the first rap single by an all-female group nominated for a Grammy. "Supersonic" went gold, and then it did something most 1980s records never do: it kept getting borrowed. Eighteen years later, its cadence and hook resurfaced as the spine of Fergie's "Fergalicious," a number two Hot 100 single certified four times platinum. Seven years after that, Eminem opened the fastest passage of "Rap God" by naming J.J. Fad outright and rapping, in his words, at supersonic speed. All three songs are in this catalog.

That lineage is the reason this catalog behaves the way it does. Its earnings-weighted age is roughly 23 years, meaning the typical dollar it collects comes from a record more than two decades old. Catalogs at that age have long since passed the steep drop that follows a new release, and what remains is the durable layer: what people actually keep playing. The last twelve months produced $6,248, softening about 5% against the prior twelve months and about 2% against the year before that. Over three years, the average sits at $6,475. This is a flat line, not a fading one.

For an investor, the case is that a hook, first cut in 1988, has paid three separate times across three decades, and the resulting income has landed within a few hundred dollars of the same figure in each of the last three years. That is the type of stability diverse royalty portfolios dream of. 

Three songs, three decades, one shared musical thread running through all of them.

J.J. Fad formed in Rialto, California, in 1985 and became one of the defining acts of West Coast electro rap. The group broke through with "Supersonic," first issued in 1987 and re-recorded for release as a single on April 18, 1988. The track reached number 10 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Club Play chart and number 22 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, was certified gold by the RIAA, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance in 1989, making J.J. Fad the first all-female rap group ever nominated for a Grammy. The parent album of the same name, released June 15, 1988, on Ruthless and Atco, was certified gold. 

Fergie released "Fergalicious" on October 23, 2006, as the second single from her debut solo album The Dutchess, featuring production and vocals from will.i.am. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and held that position for three weeks, sold more than 3.5 million digital downloads, and was certified four times platinum by the RIAA in 2016. The record placed number 88 on Billboard's Hot 100 decade-end chart for the 2000s and went multi-platinum in Australia and New Zealand as well. It draws directly on "Supersonic".

Eminem released "Rap God" on October 15, 2013, as a single from The Marshall Mathers LP 2. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the UK Official Singles Chart, was certified platinum, and received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance. Guinness World Records recognized it for the most words in a hit single, 1,560 words across six minutes and four seconds. The song's fastest passage is an explicit tribute to "Supersonic". 

Together, the three records trace a single musical idea from 1988 electro through 2006 pop and into 2013 hip hop, each new version bringing the original back into circulation.

Earnings Note. The Earnings by Period chart below reflects royalty payments based on two distinct statement sets from different payors. The Last 12 Months include:

BMI Statements: 2Q2025 through 1Q2026 (Quarterly)
ASCAP Statements, domestic: 3Q2025 through 2Q2026 (Quarterly)
ASCAP Statements, international: 4Q2025 through 3Q2026 (Quarterly)

ASCAP licenses US royalties for the songs "Fergalicious" and "Supersonic" and BMI licenses US royalties for the song "Rap God". International royalties should flow through BMI on all songs but any that are paid via ASCAP will also be included.