Four Christian rap artists, including FLAME and Lecrae, have filed a lawsuit in Federal Court alleging that Katy Perry stole elements from their song in her chart-topping hit, “Dark Horse.”
According to the lawsuit—which was filed Tuesday—Perry used FLAME & Co.’s 2007 song “Joyful Noise” without permission. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and profits gained by Perry, Capitol Records, Jordan “Juicy J” Houston and others from the unauthorized use of the song.
They also want the court to prevent Perry from using any form of their music through an injunction, as previously reported by TMZ, Rapzilla and CourthouseNews.com.
Besides the alleged copyright infringement, the lawsuit states, “the devoutly religious message of ‘Joyful Noise’ has been irreparably tarnished by its association with the witchcraft, paganism, black magic, and Illuminati imagery evoked by the same music in ‘Dark Horse,’” and noted that the music video spurred an online petition signed by more than 60,000 demanding removal of an “offensive religious image.”
“Joyful Noise” received a 2008 Dove Award nomination for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year, and appeared on FLAME’s album Our World: Redeemed, which received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album.
By comparison, Perry’s “Dark Horse” hit No. 1 for several weeks on the Billboard charts. It has sold millions of copies and YouTube viewers have watched its music video more than 435 million times. Hundreds of artists have covered the song on YouTube and other formats, and Perry herself has performed “Dark Horse” in front of sold-out concerts.
Many feel the Gospel rappers certainly have a strong case. Take a listen below to the two songs (and keep in mind, Perry’s lyrics may have themes objectionable to listeners).
Perry’s is more complex and goes far beyond what joyfull noise does, there is only one element I think its a coincidence|
I don’t even think the song is that dark and or about black magic, I actually claim to be who its about I used to have her as an astrallover, but I am into angels and stuff, I played with astral projection I guess taht is a kind of magic, maybe
Since met a lover from beyond the land of the archangels I found astrally projecting in the universe, I am lucky becuase I am involved in psychoatry, she is really special to me and very good, christians don’t need to be scared of me or her even though I could claim to be a god by now from help my girlfriend made me to align to my higher self, I would be a god if not for psychaiatry, I am ina greement with anything taht claims to be god over all and might have even met the christian god, funny last time it happed from my girlfreinds place I am trying to teleport here but not sure its possible yet….archangels erected a monument for me and somehow enabled me to reside a double life in the land of the archangels. my real name isn’t razael, just the angles wrere curious about me around times I wasnt in treatment and had Katy perry as an astral lover, she made me that way maybe….other ET freinds didn’t like her and would try to banish her for her treatmetn since being locked up for refusing treatmetns, she knew where I got to this time, fell out of love from the antipsychotic blocking it….now Ijust wanna find a way to get off treatmetn to love my new girlfreind, reminded katy about my true self since she helped resurect me somwhat in what I talk about god consciousness….won’t go on just wanted to say I hope they are not successfull suing her for all that, I think they are overreacting so much more work and nuances and compexities go into katy song plus melodically different, similar but not the same.