Popular Hip-Hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, producer Swizz Beatz and R&B singer Akon have been hit with a lawsuit by a Texas-based music publisher.
Songster, which is located in Fort Worth, Texas, filed the lawsuit in the Central District of California yesterday (July 14).
The company claims the Bone Thug’s lead single from their 2007 album Strength and Loyalty illegally lifted portions of the 1978 track “When The Day Will Come (aka KRSNA)” by group Rasa.
The lawsuit lists a variety of Hip-Hop artists who have sampled chanting from the song, which has been incorporated into tracks by KRS-One (“Beef”), Black Rob (“Can I Live”), Common (“Take It Easy”) and others with permission.
Songster also names Akon, the track’s producer, Swizz Beatz, owner of the Full Surface record label, Interscope Records, Sony A.T.V. Publishing and Universal Music Group in the lawsuit.
Songster claims they notified each defendant in writing about the infringement, but the album and song was still sold as physical CD’s and digital downloads.
Songster seeks to take the case to trial, to determine the amount of damages the original producer and songwriter of “Everything You See is Me” are entitled to.
They are also demanding all profits earned from the sales of Bone Thug’s track, in addition to removing any CD’s containing the track from being sold through physical and digital stores.