AceShowbiz - Hip-hop veterans Cypress Hill and Apple executives have been slapped with a copyright infringement lawsuit over a song released almost 20 years ago. The bosses of California-based Drive-In Music Company have accused the group of illegally sampling a portion of The Music Machine tune "Come on In" on the band's 1991 track "How I Could Just Kill a Man", which was released on Cypress Hill's self-titled debut album.

According to a lawsuit filed in the Central District Court of California on September 10, Drive-In bosses were alerted to the alleged sampling after seeing copies of the song for sale on Apple's iTunes. And they claim both parties continue to profit illegally, by continuing to sell digital copies of the song in question.

Company lawyers are now seeking an injunction to halt any further sales of Cypress Hill's debut album, the impoundment of any existing copies and unspecified damages. News of the lawsuit comes just days after Drive-In executives accused rapper Busta Rhymes and his former Leaders of the New School bandmates of illegally sampling Dyke & The Blazers' tune "Let a Woman Be a Woman, Let a Man Be a Man" on their 1991 track "Case of the P.T.A."

The music executives are seeking a permanent injunction against future sales of the New School album in question, as well an impoundment of remaining CD copies in that suit.

In another news, Cypress Hill were stunned when Marc Anthony agreed to join them in the studio for a new track - because they thought the "Latin Frank Sinatra" would have nothing to do with them. Producer pal Jim Johnson suggested the singer for the band's new tune "Armada Latina", but they didn't hold out much hope - until Anthony actually showed up a week later.

Frontman B-Real says, "I said, 'Get the f**k outta here, he's not going to do it. We're Cypress Hill. We're weedheads. They'll never let him do it.' (But) sure enough, he was at the studio the next week knocking it down and telling us what a big fan he was. For a singer of his caliber... to take a chance being on a track with us is a great thing."

The rapper is grateful Anthony didn't show up with his wife Jennifer Lopez - because the group wouldn't have been able to get anything done. B-Real adds, "I would have been unable to concentrate. It's a good thing he didn't (bring her)... How do you concentrate with her around? How does he concentrate?"

Bandmate Sen Dog adds, "She called when Marc was in the studio and he put her on speakerphone. She said hi to everybody."