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Rick Ross Sues LMFAO for Shufflin’ Over His Hustlin’

Rick Ross LMFAO Lawsuit Party Rock Anthem Hustlin

As noted earlier today, Rick Ross’ legal horizon is looking a bit brighter in 2014. A judge only just ruled that the Maybach Music Group bawse can continue to rap about fake cocaine sales using a real drug dealer’s name (that’d be the infamous “Freeway” Ricky Ross). Now, perhaps emboldened by that and possibly because he’s still got a lawyer on hand, the man born William Roberts II is suing LMFAO for copyright infringement.

Ross and producer Jermaine “Mayne Zayne” Jackson (no relation) allege that those lovable rave-rap goofballs ripped off the former’s 2006 single “Hustlin’,” which features the iconic line, “Everyday I’m hustlin’.” In 2011, of course, LMFAO released their unstoppable hit “Party Rock Anthem,” in which a throaty, kinda patois-ed voice says “Everyday I’m shufflin’.” Ross now wants to get paid because the two phrases rhyme, basically.

As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Ross says Stefan “Redfoo” Gordy and Skyler “SkyBlu” Gordy created an illegal derivative of his work, which appeared on the Port of Miami album. The lawsuit further claims the LMFAO line was “performed in a manner to sound like [Ross’ line and] is an obvious attempt to capitalize on the fame and success” thereof. “Party Rock Anthem” has sold 7.5 million copies and been licensed to countless films, shows, ads, games, etc.

The suit goes on: “The phrase is so important to the success of ‘Party Rock Anthem,’ that LMFAO launched a highly successful clothing line, Party Rock Clothing, that features the phrase on T-shirts and other clothing items.” Ross’ representation says the defendants ignored earlier warnings of their supposed infringement. Publishing house Kobalt Music Group and Kia Motors, who set their hamsters a’dancing to the hit, were also named.