American rapper Kendrick Lamar and Canadian singer The Weeknd are being accused in a new federal lawsuit of swiping the music for their 'Black Panther' soundtrack collaboration 'Pray for Me' from a Brooklyn rock band.
According to TMZ, the Brooklyn band Yeasayer has filed a lawsuit against The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar claiming the duo has lifted and altered material from its 2007 song 'Sunrise' and inserted it into their 'Pray for Me' single, which was featured in 2018's hit film 'Black Panther'.
In the legal documents obtained by TMZ, the stolen part is a distinctive choral performance the band recorded using their own voices. Yeasayer described it as "comprised of male voices singing in their highest registers, with animated, pulsing vibrato."
Yeasayer claimed that the song 'Pray for Me' used their lyrics of 'Sunrise' eight times and the modifications were used to conceal the infringement.
Further, the band is seeking unspecific damages and profits for the 'Black Panther' song and is also asking for an injunction to block further sales and airplay of the song.
However, representatives for The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar did not immediately return requests for comment.
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