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Celebrity Justice
Cypress Hill Sued for Stealing "Black" Music

Posted Oct 17th 2008 1:45AM by TMZ Staff

Cypress Hill's album "Black Sunday" came out in 1993 -- but they've had to wait 15 years now to get their pants sued off over what one man considers stolen beats.
Syl Johnson: Click to listen!Cypress Hill: Click to listen!
Syl Johnson is suing Cypress (among a host of record and publishing companies) for a whopping $29 million, because he claims the beats from his 1969 song "Is It Because I'm Black" were used on Hill's tune "Lock Down" -- which was also called "Interlude."

Take a listen to the two songs and decide for yourself -- you'd be insane in the membrane not to hear the similarities.

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Tags: Black Sunday, BlackSunday, cypress hill, CypressHill, lawsuit, Syl Johnson, SylJohnson

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1. Did Nina P. write this post?!

Posted at 2:09AM on Oct 17th 2008 by John

2. ITS THE SAME BEAT,,,RIP OFF 100%,,,,,SUE THE F@@@@KERS

Posted at 2:13AM on Oct 17th 2008 by BOB

3. I wonder if he realises that Wu-Tang use the same beat on The W for the track 'Hollow Bones'.

Posted at 2:26AM on Oct 17th 2008 by aaron

4. busted!!!!

Posted at 5:23AM on Oct 17th 2008 by public domain

5. thats from their 1994 lp temple of boom! and syl johnson isnt alive! must be his kids or wife in need of scratch!

Posted at 6:16AM on Oct 17th 2008 by al from pasadena

6. Oh hell yeah! I love me some Cyprus Hill....but they're some theivin' mofo's!!! I hope old skool black music guy gets all twenty nine MILLION that he's asking for.

Posted at 6:43AM on Oct 17th 2008 by Campy

7. He decided to sue 15 years later? Give me a break!

Posted at 11:16AM on Oct 17th 2008 by ValoHalo

8. Ha! Insane in the membrane! Because that was one of their songs when they were still relevant! LMAO!

Posted at 8:28AM on Oct 17th 2008 by Don

9. Uh, it's called sampling. Is this new to people? It's just messy because it was a little less clear back 15 years ago. But $29 MILLION for a loop? That's ridiculous!

Posted at 10:22AM on Oct 17th 2008 by ?

10. "See, their song is 'dun dun dun dun-dun dun-dun. My song is 'dun dun dun dun-dun dun-dun...TSS dun dun dun dun-dun dun-dun."

Posted at 11:57AM on Oct 17th 2008 by NDallasRuss

11. 3. I wonder if he realises that Wu-Tang use the same beat on The W for the track 'Hollow Bones'.

Posted at 2:26AM on Oct 17th 2008 by aaron

Wu credits him for the sample in the CD so he would have gotten paid for that

Posted at 11:05AM on Oct 17th 2008 by not first

12. that is the same damn exact beat. lmao

Posted at 2:25AM on Oct 18th 2008 by bb

13. this sample was also used by RZA from the wutang on the Black flag album Im remembering.

line em up money grubbers

Posted at 12:33PM on Oct 17th 2008 by Shawn McQUaid

14. Syl is most definitely still alive and performing!

Posted at 2:22PM on Oct 17th 2008 by NS

15. So what.. who f'in cares. Old dude will get his money, and life will go on. Cypress Hill has enough money to pay, and Black Sunday will always be an absolutely fantastic album.

Posted at 2:34PM on Oct 17th 2008 by Moriah

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