Black Eyed Peas Sued for Plagiarism Over Their ‘Boom Boom Pow’

Black Eyed Peas are facing another plagiarism lawsuit – a musician alleges the group’s hit “Boom Boom Pow” is “virtually identical” to her own song. Phoenix Phenom, along with associate Manfred Mohr, has filed a copyright infringement case against the band, alleging the rhythm and lyrics from her track “Boom Dynamite” were copied in the Black Eyed Peas’ 2009 global hit.




Phenom – real name Ebony Latrice Batts – claims she submitted “Boom Dynamite” to executives at Interscope Records, the Black Eyed Peas’ record label, according to gossip blogger Perez Hilton. An attorney for Phenom and Mohr says, “My clients submitted their copyrighted song ‘Boom Dynamite’ to Interscope Records after Interscope had shown interest in some of their music, and the Black Eyed Peas later copied the song when they wrote ‘Boom Boom Pow’.”



“A simple listening of the two songs will tell you that the songs are substantially similar, and that the hooks of the two songs are virtually identical in rhythm and lyrics.” Phoenix and Manfred are seeking unspecified damages, disgorgement of profits and punitive damages.



It’s not the first time the group has been accused of plagiarism – British DJ Adam Freeland threatened to take legal action in 2009 after claiming his track Mancry was the inspiration for the Black Eyed Peas’ song “Party All the Time”. The two parties reportedly reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement over the dispute.