Cypress Hill Hit With $29 MILLION Suit Over `'Black Sunday,' Sample!!!!!!!

by **J The Kidd** Sat Oct 18, 2008 6:46 pm

West Coast rap group Cypress Hill are being sued for $29 million due
to a sampling conflict stemming from their triple platinum, 1993 album,
Black Sunday.

According to reports, legendary blues singer Syl Johnson filed a
lawsuit against the hip-hop band claiming the music from his 1969
record "Is It Because I'm Black" were used without permission on Hill's
"Lock Down (Interlude)." Despite Hill's track being over 15 years-old
and not using the actual lyrics from the song, Johnson has decided to
sue the group plus a number of record and publishing companies for the
brief soundbite.

Cypress Hill, who were recently honored at VH1's 5th annual Hip-Hop
Honors event, were not available for comment as of press time.

Johnson, who is the father of R&B singer Syleena Johnson, has a
history of suing other musicians for allegedly using unauthorized
samples of his music. Back in January, TMZ broke the news that he sued
a long list of artists including Michael Jackson, Will Smith, Tupac
Shakur and KRS-One claiming they stole his 1967 single "Different
Strokes" without attributing him or paying for the sample.