The Honey Drippers’ 1973 funk single “Impeach the President” has been sampled in more than 800 songs by everyone from Eric B. and Rakim, MC Shan and Biz Markie to Dr. Dre, Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. to J. Cole, French Montana to Flo Rida. Of the most popular renditions of the popular record is Mary Blige’s 1992 smash hit “Real Love,” which spent 31 weeks on the Hot 100 and reached a peak of No. 7 on Billboard charts.
Last week, Tuff City Records filed a complaint in Manhattan federal court, accusing Universal Music Publishing Group of copyright infringement. According to reports, Tuff City’s attorneys claim they have “advised defendant repeatedly of the presence of the uncleared sample.
“Defendant has repeatedly refused to engage plaintiff in substantive negotiations to rectify the foregoing, let alone agreed to compensate Plaintiff for the past infringement or on an ongoing basis,” wrote Tuff City’s attorney Hillel Parness in the complaint.
This is not the first time Tuff City filed lawsuits over “Impeach the President.” In 1991, the company sued Sony Music and Def Jam, claiming that producer Marley Marl sampled LL Cool J’s “Around the Way Girl” and “Six Minutes of Pleasure” without permission. The case was settled on confidential terms.
Listen below for a collection of songs where the sample appears.
