Beyonce, Jay Z, Timbaland Sued for Ripping Off Hungarian "Drunk in Love"

A Hungarian singer from the Roma community has filed a lawsuit against Beyonce, her husband Jay-Z and producer Timbaland over alleged plagiarism in the smash hit "Drunk in Love."

Monika Miczura, popularly known as Mitsou, is claiming that the superstar made use of a folk tune without permission, according to The Nation.

The track from the singer's self-titled album begins with an Eastern-sounding a cappella voice that gradually fades out after around 40 seconds as a pop beat, keyboards and Beyonce's voice come in. In a lawsuit filed in a New York court, Mitsou said that the snippet was a digitally altered version of her 1995 recording of "Bajba, Bajba Pelem," a song that she learned from her grandmother.

The lawsuit said that Beyonce and Jay-Z did not seek permission to include Mitsou's voice in the music of the song. The singer is requesting to prevent the distribution or airing of the song since it features her vocals without her consent, reported International Business Times. Mitsou estimated that her voice was present on 29 per cent of the song by the couple

The lawsuit also claimed that Beyonce has exploited the Roma song "to evoke foreign eroticism alongside the sexually intense lyrics." The song was traditional to the Roma, also known as the Gypsies, and was "about hopelessness, when one can no longer trust anyone but her own mother and God." By contrast, "Drunk In Love" features Beyonce and her rapper husband Jay-Z as they sing of their marital bliss, reported The Nation.

Beyonce and Jay-Z did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.

Released without prior marketing, "Beyonce" has sold more than five million copies worldwide and is nominated for the Grammy Album of the Year.