As if the controversy surrounding his association with Barneys wasn’t enough of a headache, Jay Z now finds himself entailed in another legal mess, this time over allegations that he used an illegal sample in his hit song “Run This Town”.
According to The New York Daily News, TufAmerica Inc. filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in Manhattan court Wednesday, claiming that Jay Z sampled “Hook & Sling”, a 1969 number by singer Eddie Bo and producer Al Scramuzza, without their permission.
TufAmerica, who purchased the exclusive rights to “Hook & Sling” in 1996, is seeking “proceeds from ‘Run This Town’ and damages to be determined at trial, plus a court order to halt “further distribution and exploitation” of the Eddie Bo song,” The Daily News adds.
“Run This Town”, which was produced by and features Kanye West, as well as Rihanna, appeared on Jay Z’s 2009 album The Blueprint 3.
This is not the first time Jay Z has been sued for copyright infringement. In 2011, the nephew of Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdy filed a lawsuit against Jay Z over the sample used in 2000’s “Big Pimpin'”.
Below, watch the video for “Run This Town” and listen to Eddie Bo’s “Hook & Sling”. Personally, I don’t hear it, but man, “Hook & Sling” is a ridiculously great song nonetheless.
