Jay Z and Timbaland Will Testify in ‘Big Pimpin” Lawsuit

Jay Z, Timbaland and other representatives of various music agencies will finally come to court to comment on one of the longest-running lawsuits in the United States, questioning the use of a sample in the single “Big Pimpin'”. The record includes a sample of a snippet of music by the late Egyptian film composer Baligh Hamdy.

The rapper has maintained the song is protected under a previous licensing agreement made by producer Timbaland, in which he handed over £62,500 to recording and publishing company EMI for the rights to Hamdy’s sample in order to clear any infringement issues.

But the Hamdy family, led by the late composer’s nephew Osama Ahmed Fahmy, subsequently claimed that the sample had not, in fact, been properly licensed, and they sued everyone under the sun in 2007, including Jay-Z, Timbaland, their music industry partners, Paramount Pictures for using the track in a Jay-Z documentary, and MTV for featuring it in a Jay-Z special.

As previously reported, legal reps for Jay-Z and Timbaland pointed out that no such moral right to stop “objectionable” use of a song existed under American law. After Timbo made his $100,000 deal, Fahmy reached an agreement with the Egyptian outfit that had given him EMI rights.

“The evidence will also show that the defendants did not obtain the consent of the author or his heirs to introduce modifications in or additions to “Khosara Khosara,'” the plaintiff statement reads”. In the two months before trial, a judge could potentially narrow what is to be tried before a jury. She’s the same musicologist who worked for the Marvin Gaye estate during this year’s “Blurred Lines” battle with Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams. They’ll also be presenting the testimony of Dr. “Therefore, any license to economically exploit ‘Khosara Khosara” in ‘Big Pimpin” would be null and void”.

Both sides have top entertainment lawyers, and Fahmy has been thorough thus far. David Steinberg, Christine Lepera, Russell Frackman, Bradley Mullins, Daniel Rozansky and Andrew Bart will be representing the defendants.