Another day, another copyright infringement lawsuit.
Jay Z, Timbaland, and the late Pimp C have been named in a copyright infringement lawsuit for their 1999 smash hit “Big Pimpin.”
Jay Z and Timbaland are being sued by heirs of Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi, the writer of an Egyptian love song titled “Khosara Khosara.” The record was released in 1957, but the plaintiffs in the case say Jay Z and Timbaland used crucial elements of the song’s composition.
During the trial, Jay Z testified:
“There’s a number of things that occurred. At some point there was a claim brought and then it was cleared up, and the rights were granted. I was under the understanding we had a license. There’s a team of hundreds of people, [clearing samples] is their job. That’s not my job.”
Timbaland testified he discovered the Egyptian love song on a license free CD, and he thought sampling the song was legal. In 2001, Jay Z had reached an agreement with EMI Arabia and thought the sampling issue was cleared.
“Legal just told me, ‘$100 grand and you’re clear,'” he said.
With precedent set in the Marvin Gaye vs. Robin Thicke copyright case, Jay Z and Timbaland are the latest major artists to find themselves immersed in legal messiness.
From the video up top though, Jay and Timb seem unfazed by the court proceedings. Now, that’s big pimpin’.
SOURCE: THR
