Are the Black Eyed Peas Serial Song Thieves?

Two separate pending lawsuits accuse mega-selling, Grammy-winning hip-hop crew of swiping tunes from lesser-known artists

By Josh Grossberg Oct 29, 2010 8:23 PMTags
Black Eyed Peas, Taboo, Fergie, Will.i.am, apl.de.apMichael Caulfield/Getty Images

This isn't the kind of monkey business the Black Eyed Peas are normally in to.

In a weird coincidence—or, if you prefer conspiracies, a bit of suspicious timing—the hitmaking hip-hoppers were on the receiving end of two separate lawsuits accusing them of swiping songs from lesser-known artists.

Boom boom huh?

The first complaint was filed Thursday in federal court in Santa Ana, Calif., by a Texas-base dude named Bryan Pringle. He claims Will.i.am, Stacey "Fergie" Ferguson, Apl.de.ap and Taboo plagiarized a tune called "Take a Dive" for their ubiquitous Grammy-winning mega-hit "I Gotta Feeling."

The second suit was originally filed back in January and was reentered in federal court in Los Angeles. It alleges the Peas ripped off the song "Boom Dynamite" by Chicago songwriting duo Ebony Latrice Batts and Manfred Mohr for "Boom Boom Pow." 

The duo claims in court docs that they had submitted their track to the Peas' label, Interscope Records, a year before "Boom Boom Pow" was released in March 2009 as the lead single off The E.N.D.

"A simple listening of the two songs will tell you that the songs are substantially similar, and that the hooks of the two songs are virtually identical in rhythm and lyrics," says plaintiff lawyer Ira Gould.

Other defendants named in the two suits include Interscope, UMG Records and EMI April Music.

The plaintiffs are asking for monetary damages including all net profits from the disputed tracks as well as all future royalties. Phone calls seeking comment from the band's rep at Interscope have not been returned.

The Black Eyed Peas' new album, The Beginning, meanwhile hits stores Nov. 30.

Below are videos for "Boom Dynamite" and "Boom Boom Pow." Judge for youself.

"Boom Dynamite"
"Boom Boom Pow"