Rockers Disapprove of Hip-Hop

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CN) - Which is worse, rock or rap? Rap, say the members of Bloodstone, which sued Universal Music Group for licensing one of their tunes for sampling in a hip-hop song.

"Plaintiffs do not approve of their song being sampled in a hip hop or rap song," the three members of Bloodstone say in their federal complaint.

They sued UMG for copyright infringement, conversion, unjust enrichment and an accounting.

"The members of the rock band Bloodstone, [plaintiffs] Charles Love, Harry Williams and Charles McCormick were performers on the original recording of 'I'm Just Doing My Job' in 1979," and own the copyright to it, they say in the complaint.

"On belief, in 2003, in exchange for consideration, Defendant granted the hip-hop artists known as TI and Kanye West a license to sample 'I'm Just Doing My Job' without notifying any of the members of Bloodstone and without paying any compensation to Bloodstone. The Bloodstone sound recording of 'I'm Just Doing My Job' was used by TI and Kanye West in the song 'Doin My Job' in its entirety and has sold millions of copies.

"Bloodstone did not know that UMe had granted the license to TI and Kanye West until late 2011/early 2012. Since that time Bloodstone has sought to find out who granted the license to TI without any authority, and recently learned it was Ume [Universal Music Enterprises]. Plaintiffs do not approve of their song being sampled in a hip hop or rap song."

The rockers want an injunction, damages and punitive damages. They are represented by Tai Vokins, of Olathe, Kan.

Bloodstone was formed as "The Sinceres," in 1962, as a Kansas City rock band.

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