Local Musician Files Lawsuit Against Black Eyed Peas

By Jake Guidry in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 2, 2010 10:00PM

Just when we thought that we had heard the last of Black Eyed Peas' chart-topping jam "Boom Boom Pow", some inconsiderate soul comes out of nowhere and throws it right back on the table, like a dish of left over meat loaf that had been hugging some corner of our refrigerator for a few weeks. Not that we didn't dig the raucous tune when it first debuted -- it's a perfectly fine pop song that is hard to hate -- but fast forward a year or so and we are glad to officially have it on the back-burner of musical trends. Even so, local musician Phoenix Phenom wants to remind us that "Boom Boom Pow" is still relevant and may even be older than we think, in some form or another, and she's suing all parties responsible.

Phoenix Phenom, a.k.a. Ebony Latrice Batts, filed a lawsuit last week because she believes the Black Eyed Peas' hit is a little too similar to her song, "Boom Dynamite". Of course this seems like a pretty ridiculous claim until you consider that she originally sent "Boom Dynamite" to Interscope Records, the Black Eyed Peas' label, in the hopes of getting Fergie to perform on the track. Obviously, Interscope shot down the idea and shortly after the Peas released "Boom Boom Pow," the tune that has since shot the group into the stratosphere of pop stardom.

The lawsuit seeks damages from each of the group's members, as well as from Interscope Records and Universal Music Group. Phoenix Phenom and her songwriter Manny Mohr are also seeking a share of the profits and a future songwriting credit.

More, including the two songs in question, after the jump.

Phoenix Phenom "Boom Dynamite"

Black Eyed Peas 'Boom Boom Pow"

What do we think? At most, they swiped a pretty generic lyric, "I got that boom, boom, boom," and readjusted its delivery. Hardly anything to cry about (unless, of course, there are large sums of money to be made from it). It's pretty obvious that most pop music is derivative and so it's got to derive from something. If it's not blatantly lifting melodies, patterns, lyrics, etc., it's fair game! That "Boom Dynamite" track is pretty hot, though.