Shawn Carter, more popularly known as Jay-Z, is one of the biggest names in the music industry and has been the subject of legal battles as of late. On Oct.14, he appeared in a courtroom in downtown Los Angeles to face yet another lawsuit, this time, for the copyright infringement claim over four notes in his 1999 hit song "Big Pimpin'."
In the complex world of the music industry, any artist is bound to step on toes every now and then, but in this case, it is an eight-year struggle for rapper Jay-Z and music producer Timothy Mosley, known in the business as Timbaland, as they face a claim they believe has already been settled after the song was first released.
The complainant who sued the rapper in 2007 is Osama Ahmed Fahmy, nephew of Baligh Hamdi, the original composer of "Khosara Khosara" and the current case is about how JayZ infringed on the Egyptian composer's copyright by taking four measures of "Khosara Khosara" and rapping over it with vulgar lyrics.
"It depends on your definition of vulgar. Art can be vulgar." JayZ answered when Fahmy's lawyer, Peter Ross, asked the rapper to acknowledge under oath that he knowingly used vulgar lyrics over the copyright infringed notes.
JayZ maintained his composure throughout the hearing, giving with one-word answers but also injecting a little humor to his testimony. However, the rapper presented evidence and maintained that the rights were secured from EMI Music Arabia, which owned the license for "Khosara Khosara," when the claims were first made when his song was released.
JayZ and Timbaland's lawyers also argued that the claims had already been reconciled, including a $100,000 settlement, as well as royalties which Fahmy was one of the recipients of.
Ross argued that, according to Egyptian laws, JayZ and Timbaland's representatives should have gone directly to Hamdi or his heirs to secure permission; however, Chritine Lepera, Timbaland's lawyer, accused Fahmy of using the claim to profit from the music moguls.
JayZ left the courtroom an hour and a half later.
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