Rick Ross sues LMFAO for copyright infringement

From his grunt, to his Miami slang to his unmistakable voice, some things in hip-hop are just automatically attributed to Rick Ross. He has created a signature sound for himself that cannot be duplicated by anyone else and that is his argument for his current lawsuit against pop group LMFAO.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rick Ross and Jermaine "Mayne Zayne" Jackson, one half of the production duo The Runners, have sued LMFAO for copyright infringement. The two have filed a lawsuit over the group's 2010 song "Party Rock Anthem."

The chorus of "Party Rock Anthem" includes the lyric, "Every day I'm shufflin'," a spin on the hook from Ross' breakout hit "Hustlin'."

Other defendants in the case include LMFAO's publishers Kobalt Music Group and car company Kia Motors America. Kia has licensed "Party Rock Anthem" for commercials.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit says:

"The use of 'Hustlin' ' in 'Party Rock Anthem' is readily apparent, despite the slight change from 'Everyday I'm hustlin' ...' to 'Everyday I'm shufflin' ...' and constitutes, [among other things], the creation of an unauthorized derivative work..." And that the lyric is, "performed in a manner to sound like" Ross. They also call it "[...]an obvious attempt to capitalize on the fame and success of 'Hustlin''... The phrase is so important to the success of 'Party Rock Anthem,' that LMFAO launched a highly successful clothing line, Party Rock Clothing, that features the phrase on T-shirts and other clothing items."

Ross and Jackson have reportedly tried to contact the defendants, who have ignored their warnings.