Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Big Freedia are being sued by a former New-Orleans-based group alleging copyright infringement involving usage of the phrase "release a wiggle."
According to the federal copyright lawsuit, filed May 22 in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the bounce group that once performed as "Da Showstoppaz" is accusing Big Freedia of illegally using the three-word phrase in her 2014 song "Explode."
In the suit, four members of the group — Tessa Avie, Keva Bourgeois, Henri Braggs and Brian Clark — allege Big Freedia took the phrase from 2002 single "Release A Wiggle" produced by them. The song was featured on a mixtape sold by BlackHouse Entertainment.
The complaint alleges, "'Explode' infringes on Da Showstoppaz’s 'Release A Wiggle' twelve times, as the infringing phrase 'release yo’ wiggle' and several other substantially similar phrases are featured prominently in the song and evenly spread out across Explode’s furious two-minute and forty-seven second runtime. Any reasonable person listening to 'Release A Wiggle' and 'Explode' would conclude that the songs are substantially similar."
As fans know, Beyoncé sampled Big Freedia's song "Explode" on her smash hit "Break My Soul," from her 2022 seventh studio album "Renaissance."
The "Ya Ya" singer's name has been added to the lawsuit along with other and writers and producers credited on the album, including Beyoncé's husband and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z. Companies affiliated with the release of both songs are also named as defendants.
The suit claims, "Da Showstoppaz have a copyright to their unique and distinctive lyrics and musical composition, 'Release A Wiggle.' Big Freedia had access to 'Release A Wiggle,' which was subsequently sampled by 'Break My Soul' by Mrs. Carter. Therefore, by copying 'Release A Wiggle” in 'Explode,' Big Freedia infringed on Da Showstoppaz’s copyrights."
The group is asking to be credited on both “Explode” and “Break My Soul” and to receive royalties for future uses of both songs and damages in relation to profits Big Freedia and Beyoncé made for the songs, as well as the singer's corresponding tour and film, “Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce.”
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/The Recording Academy
