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[Lazarus]

Beyonce is at the center of yet another federal lawsuit in connection to her 2016 hit song, "Formation," this time accused by the star of the Oscar-nominated Hurricane Katrina documentary "Trouble the Water."

The lawsuit was filed one day before the singer settled a separate year-long lawsuit that claimed Beyonce did not have permission to use the voice of late New Orleans bounce artist Messy Mya in the "Formation" and "Lemonade" recordings and music videos.

Angel Barre, the sister and sole heir of Messy Mya's estate, filed the lawsuit on Feb. 6, 2017. The popular local rapper and YouTube comedian's real name was Anthony Barre.

Barre was shot to death on Nov. 14, 2010 in the 7 th Ward, near St. Anthony and North Rocheblave Streets. He was 22-years-old.

The $20 million lawsuit was dismissed Monday (Feb. 5), just under a year after the suit was first filed. Court records show the case was settled with an agreement from both parties, but the terms of the settlement were not immediately clear.


In a lawsuit filed Sunday, local rapper Kimberly Roberts claims Beyonce violated a contract for the use of the footage Roberts shot during Katrina and that was later used in "Trouble the Water."

According to the lawsuit, Beyonce agreed to pay Roberts royalty fees as well as a fixed amount to use footage from her film in the "Formation" music video. However, the lawsuit claims the singer only paid Roberts for the initial licensing agreement and has since failed to pay her for royalties.

Additionally, the lawsuit claims Beyonce has broken the contract by using clips from Roberts' documentary in other mediums, including in the audio recordings of "Formation" and during live performances.

The lawsuit was filed by New Orleans attorney DeShawn Hayes against Prettybird Pictures Inc., the company that produced the "Formation" music video.

Roberts is a New Orleans native who stayed in her 9 th Ward home to ride out Katrina with her husband Scott. Roberts said she wanted to leave, but her car was stolen a week before then-mayor Ray Nagin called for a mandatory evacuation, stranding her with no way out of the city.

Forced to stay, Roberts documented their horrific experience on her Sony Hi8 Camcorder. Several days after the storm, Roberts and her husband were finally able to get out of the city and were staying in a shelter in Alexandria where they met documentarists Carl Deal and Tia Lessen.

Deal and Lessen were shooting for a documentary about National Guard soldiers who left Afghanistan to help with Katrina relief, but were shut down by the National Guard's public relations team, according to an article published in Splinter News.

Roberts showed the two filmmakers the footage she captured while waiting for Katrina, riding out the storm and the days of flooding that followed, and soon after, they began working with Roberts on what would become "Trouble the Water."

The lawsuit states in addition to money losses, the improper use of Roberts' footage is causing "great and irreparable injury that cannot fully be compensated or measured in money."

Hayes called the singer's use of Roberts' property "impermissible and unauthorized," and has hurt her goals of the work.

"It goes without saying the importance of highlighting the struggles, and the respective perseverance thereto, of Hurricane Katrina. Ms. Roberts simply sought to do such through "Trouble the Water," Hayes said.

Hayes said a demand amount is not yet available and will be determined during a pre-trial discovery that will calculate the total value Roberts is owed. However, Hayes stated Roberts is seeking unpaid royalties as well as other penalties for the Grammy-nominated song.

A public relations representative for the attorney of Messy Mya's estate declined to comment on the settlement Tuesday, and requests for comment from Prettybird Pictures were not answered.

[KING BENTLEY.]

My' why they sued her in the first place? .... over Formations?

[Lazarus]

My' why they sued her in the first place? .... over Formations?

Supposedly Beyonce sampled Messy Mya's voice without authorization.

[KING BENTLEY.]

My' why they sued her in the first place? .... over Formations?

Supposedly Beyonce sampled Messy Mya's voice without authorization.

wow ... I mean ... I see y ... seems a bit extreme tho

I feel like if he was alive he would've been compensated.

but yea I guess he would prolly want his family to be as well. glad they got paid.