George Clinton Sues The Black Eye Peas

P-Funk’s George Clinton is suing hit group The Black Eyed Peas claiming they stole some of his tunes. Clinton says the group swiped elements of his 1979 song “(Not Just) Knee Deep” in remixes of their song “Shut Up.”

The song first appeared on the group’s 2003 album “Elephunk,” and it released “Shut Up Remix” the same year. It was also used in another remix included on the deluxe edition of the Peas’ 2009 release, “The E.N.D.”

Clinton says he never gave the group permission to use his music, and he’s seeking copyright infringement damages and an injunction to block further sales of the remixes.

Attorneys for Funk legend George Clinton have filed a multi-million dollar copyright infringement lawsuit over a remix of the group’s 2003 hit song “Shut Up.”

Lawyers for Clinton filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, on December 10th.

The lawsuit accuses BEP stole portions of Clinton’s classic #1 funk single “(Not Just) Knee Deep” and incorporated into the “Shut Up” remix without permission.

Clinton, who currently resides in Florida, owns the copyrights to the song in question, which is taken from the 1979 album Uncle Jam Wants You by Funkadelic.

Listen to “(Not Just) Knee Deep”

The lawsuit claims BEP cashed in on his hard work, by releasing the remixes on vinyl, in digital formats and on DVD’s (Live From Sydney to Vegas).

Additionally, “Shut Up” was released on the group’s hit album Elephunk, which has sold over 8.5 million copies worldwide, according to the complaint.

Listen to “Shut Up” (Remix)

To make matters worse, in 2009, producers associated with BEP contacted Clinton about licensing a sample of “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” before Clinton was aware the group had already sampled the song.

In the ensuing battle to clear the sample, someone is accused of actually forging George Clinton’s signature.

The funk legend maintains he did not sign any contracts, nor did he agree to any terms or receive compensation.

Additionally, the group went ahead and released the remix on the deluxe version of The E.N.D. without the R&B pioneer’s consent.

Read the whole article on AllHipHop.com!