Jay Z and Timbaland had their day in court on Tuesday, as the rap mogul and producer faced a Los Angeles judge to respond to a lawsuit filed against them for the sample used in their 1999 hit, “Big Pimpin.’” Footage of Hov and Timbo leaving courthouse yesterday show the two in good spirits, although the legal battle has become one of the longest active lawsuits in America.
Timbaland reportedly shelled out $100,00 to EMI to procure the rights to use Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi’s 1957 hit, “Khosara Khosara” on “Big Pimpin,’” but was still subsequently sued by Hamdi nephew, Osama Ahmed Fahmy, who is referencing Egyptian law in his case. Stating that the use of the sample violated his “moral rights,” Fahmy is looking to collect because his uncle’s music was used on a song “celebrating a promiscuous lifestyle,” according to The Associated Press.
Christine Lepera, Timbaland’s attorney, maintains that Hamdi’s family has been paid several times for the “Big Pimpin’” sample, and that the track did not use “major elements” of the original song. While the producer admittedly used the “Khosara Khosara” under the assumption that it was “royalty-free,” he later obtained the proper rights to use it. The trial will continue on Wednesday, with an Egyptian music expert testifying on Hamdi’s influence.
Watch footage of Jay Z and Timbaland leaving the courthouse below: