Jay Z Sued by TufAmerica Records for Alleged Copyright Infringement

jay-z-sued-copyright-run-this-town-hook-and-sling

Jay Z has been slapped with a lawsuit in connection with his 2009 track "Run This Town." TufAmerica Records alleges that the track illegally samples R&B singer Eddie Bo's 1969 song "Hook & Sling Part 1." The suit says that the song, which also features Kanye West and Rihanna, samples the original song dozens of times throughout.

According to the New York Daily News, TufAmerica:

...claims it bought the exclusive rights to “Hook & Sling” in 1996. The suit seeks 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.

Representatives for Jay Z's camp have not yet commented on the matter, but this isn't the best few weeks for the rapper. The Major League Baseball Players Association is investigating him for possible violations of the union's agent regulations, and he's come under fire for his association with the department store Barney's after recent allegations of the store's racial profiling. What's more, a satirical article spawned rumors of Jay's death, although the headline only boasted that he was "dead inside."

Stay tuned for details about this case as it emerges. You can listen to the original "Hook & Sling" and Jay Z's "Run This Town" below.