One day before the death of Beastie Boys member Adam “MCA” Yauch, the group was hit with a lawsuit over the use of samples on two of their most critically-acclaimed albums, “Paul’s Boutique” and “Licensed to Ill.”*One day before the death of Beastie Boys member Adam “MCA” Yauch, the group was hit with a lawsuit over the use of samples on two of their most critically-acclaimed albums, “Paul’s Boutique” and “Licensed to Ill.”
The suit, filed by the label Tuf America, alleges that the two albums illegally sample the 1982 songs “Drop the Bomb” and “Say What” from Washington DC’s go-go band Trouble Funk.
Both the Beasties and Capitol Records were named in the suit, according to Allhiphop.com.
The suit says “Licensed to Ill‘s” “Hold It Now Hit It” and “The New Style” and “Paul’s Boutique‘s” “Car Thief” snatching Trouble’s “Drop the Bomb,” and “Paul Boutique’s” “Shadrach” for stealing elements from “Say What.”
Listen to all songs involved below.
Let me clear my throat – Kick it over here baby pop
And let all the fly skimmies, feel the beat…mmm drop
Coolin’ on the corner on a hot summers day
Just me, my posse and M.C.A.
A lot of beer – a lot of girls – and a lot of cursing
Twenty-two automatic on my person
Got my hand in my pocket and my finger’s on the trigger
My posse’s gettin’ big – and my posse’s gettin’ bigger
Some voices got treble – some voices got bass
We got the kind of voices that are in your face
Like the bun to the burger – like the burger to the bun
Like the cherry to the apple – to the peach to the plum
I’m the king of the Ave. – and I’m the king of the block
I’m M.C.A. – and I’m the King Adrock
I’m Mike D. – I got all the fly juice
On the checkin’ at the party on the forty deuce
Walking down the block with the fresh fly threads
Beastie Boys fly the biggest heads
Hope they have better luck than Rare Essence had with Jay Z, jacking their song! Because they didn’t copyright it, Jay Z was able to pretty much steal the lyrics ( with a little tweaking) and musical arrangement of “overnight scenario” Jay Z came to DC and Rare Essence opened for him and performed “overnight scenario”. Then a couple years later, there was Jay Z’s version. They tried to appeal to him out of court, but he cold carried them, and then they tried to litigate, but was determined that they did not legally do what they should have and copyright the song.