Naughty By Nature 'Uptown Anthem' Caught In A Copyright Wrangle After SugarHill Music Files Copyright Infringement Suit

New Jersey rap trio Naughty By Nature is caught in a legal wrangle after their hit track "Uptown Anthem" was a cause for a copyright lawsuit filed by legendary music company Sugarhill Music.

SugarHill Music has filed a copyright lawsuit against Warner-Chappel Music, the publishing company of Naughty By Nature in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York.

The Warner-Chappel Music is co-owner in the copyright of the track "Uptown Anthem," claims the lawsuit, AllHipHop reported. The track was released in 1991.

The track "Uptown Anthem," uses the phrase "we gonna" that is also a verse in the song "That's the Joint" by Funky 4 Plus 1.  "Uptown Anthem" samples the phrase a total of 41 times, using it as a the song's hook, the lawsuit claims and this has been "commercially exploited" by Warner-Chappel Music infringing on SugarHill Music's original copyright, HipHopDx reported.

SugarHill Music is now seeking "full accounting of the profits" that Warner-Chappel Music made from the song. It also seeks damages "sustained as a consequence of defendants infringement of plaintiffs copyright and to account for and pay to plaintiff all gains, profits and advantages derived by defendants from such infringement of plaintiffs copyright."

It was also noted the Naughty By Nature was not named in the lawsuit. The track was recorded as a soundtrack for the movie "Juice."

The hip hop trio is a Grammy award winning group, formed in 1988 in East Orange, New Jersey. In 1992, the group won the American Music Awards for Favorite New Artist in Rap/Hip-Hop.