The lawsuit was initially filed in May by former New Orleans group Da Showstoppaz, who claimed that Queen Bey had used their music without permission on her hit song.
- August 10, 2024
AceShowbiz - Beyonce Knowles has scored a legal victory. According to reports, the Grammy-winning musician won a court ruling dismissing a copyright lawsuit over her hit song "Break My Soul".
The lawsuit was filed in May by former New Orleans group Da Showstoppaz. They initially claimed that Queen Bey had used their music without permission on her song. The group also sued Parkwood Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Jay-Z and Big Freedia.
However, the case has been dropped voluntarily. Court filings contained no mention of any kind of settlement agreement neither side has yet to address the withdrawal.
Da Showstoppaz, consisting of Tessa Avie, Keva Bourgeois, Henri Braggs and Brian Clark, stated that "their unique phrases, melody and musical arrangement" on "Release a Wiggle" was sampled without their permission, "any authorization, acknowledgment, or payment." The song itself was created back in 2002. Meanwhile, "Break My Soul" was released in 2022 and its sample "Explode" in 2014.
In the court papers, the plaintiffs also alleged that Bey and Hov earned huge success from "Break My Soul" and "Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce" without "giving credit" to them. They also accused them of doing "copyright infringement and stealing their intellectual property."
Furthermore, the plaintiffs claimed that Big Freedia "violated the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act by using the plaintiffs' work without permission." It allegedly caused "serious financial and reputational damage" to the group.
