Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ smash single “Uptown Funk” is under fire once again. Nearly a year after both artists were caught up in an intense legal battle over the song, another group of artists have come forward to accuse Ronson and Mars of ripping off their work.
TMZ reports that one of the first female rap groups, called “The Sequence,” have let it be known that their 1979 song “Funk You Up” was the real “inspiration” for “Uptown Funk.” The accusations come from their rep Kali Bowyer, who claims that there are too many similarities between both songs.
“This is not and has not been an overnight issue, nor following the Grammy bandwagon party,” Bowyer told VIBE. “This fight did not just begin, the issues and paperwork date back going on close to two years, over the songs ‘Uptown Funk’ and ‘Funk You Up,’ and with the issue in respects to Bruno dates back to the actual release date of “Uptown Funk”.
Apparently, the trio consisting of Angie Stone, Cheryl Cook (Cheryl The Pearl), and Gwendolyn Chisolm (Blondie), say Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson’s Grammy award-winning song rips off the hook from their song, especially during the “funk you right on up” part. When the eleven contributors were mentioned as writers of the song “Uptown Funk” during the Grammy Awards, “Sequence” was noticeably omitted from from the list, which made the impending battle take a turn for the worse.
READ: Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson Bring Their Uptown Funk To Ellen
It wouldn’t be the first time Mars and Ronson’s radio-friendly record has put the experienced producer and the “Marry You” singer in the hot seat. Last May, all five writers of The Gap Band’s 1979 hit “Oops Upside Your Head” were awarded split credit for “Uptown Funk” after a brief legal battle over similar lyrics in the song.
Do you think “The Sequence” has a case against Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars? Listen and compare both songs below and judge for yourself.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=F_gF1v1xZDc