The 1970’s female rap group, The Sequence, is claiming that this years Grammy Award winning song “Uptown Funk” is a complete rip-off. The Sequence (Angie Stone, Cheryl the Pearl, and Blondy) is accusing Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson of stealing the beat and hook from their 1979 single “Funk You Up.” The publicist for The Sequence emailed Sandra Rose to explain that Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson knew about their claims for close to two years. “This is not and has not been an overnight issue, nor following the Grammy bandwagon party,” wrote publicist Kali Bowyer in an email toSandrarose.com. “This fight did not just begin. The issues and paperwork date back going on close to two years.” She added: “With respect to [the] Robinson family, it has been quite a lengthy process of formal and informal dealings with the Robinson family. It has been a rough ride for the ladies, in attempts to settle all issues surrounding the music.” The Sequence also missed out on being mentioned as “writers” during the Grammy Award ceremony when “Uptown Funk” took home Record of the Year. Before this situation gets out of hand, the ladies are looking to settle the matter. But, if need be, they are ready to head to court. Although there are some people who don’t believe The Sequence owns the rights to the original, “Funk You Up” has been sampled by artists like Erykah Badu, Dr. Dre, Trina, and the late Ol Dirty Bastard. DOES “UPTOWN FUNK” SOUND LIKE “FUNK YOU UP”?
