Ill-timing: Beastie Boys being sued

In a bout of bad timing, record label TufAmerica filed a lawsuit against the Beastie Boys  last Thursday, just one day prior to the death of band member Adam Yauch, aka: MCA.

The label has accused the hip-hop trio of plagiarising music from one of their own artists, Trouble Funk. Apparently MCA and company sampled music from a 1982 track Drop The Bomb for use in two Beastie Boys songs, The New Style and Hold It Now Hit It. Both tracks appeared on the band’s debut album Licensed To Ill.

TufAmerica also claim the Beastie Boys sampled the same Trouble Funk track on Car Thief from their sophomore LP, Paul’s Boutique.

With media focus still on the tragic news of Yauch’s passing last week, after his three-year battle with cancer, the case is coming across as one of rather bad taste.