The battle over who is really ‘100% that b***h’ has reached a new level as three songwriters filed a lawsuit against Lizzo accusing her of plagiarizing the line.
Brothers Justin and Jeremiah Raisen, as well as Justin ‘Yves’ Rothman, have long contended that the Grammy winner stole her famed lyric from them and they filed a countersuit against her in federal court on Friday, according to Variety.
Lizzo previously sued the trio seeking a judge to rule that they have no claim to the song and, last year, she took to social media to refute their assertion that they should be able to profit from the song.
War of words: Lizzo was sued over her famed ‘100% that B***h’ lyric from Truth Hurts by songwriters Justin and Jeremiah Raisen, as well as Justin ‘Yves’ Rothman, in federal court on Friday, according to Variety
In the countersuit, the men repeated their longheld claims that Truth Hurts is strikingly similar to their song Healthy which they had composed with Lizzo in April 2017, just months before she penned Truth Hurts.
‘Lizzo is a talented musician and performer who currently enjoys immense popularity based on a hit song that she did not write alone,’ said their attorney, Lawrence Iser, in a statement to Variety.
‘The Counterclaims we filed today seek a judgment from the court that the song that is now called ‘Truth Hurts’ originated in Justin Raisen’s home recording studio from a collaboration among our clients, Justin and Jeremiah Raisen and Yves Rothman, along with Lizzo and Jesse Saint John.
‘When the case proceeds to trial, we look forward to sharing the sound recordings, videos, photographs and musicology that 100% prove that collaboration. Our clients deserve their fair share of the recognition and revenue that comes from collaborating on a hit song.’
Way back when: The trio has long contended that the Grammy winner stole the line from them during songwriting session for their song Healthy, which they had composed with Lizzo, just months before she penned Truth Hurts (Lizzo pictured with the Raisens)
The countersuit included details from a musicologist who found ‘strikingly similar lyric and musical elements’ in Healthy and Truth Hurts.
In addition, Variety reports that the suit claims ‘there are other musical similarities as well, in the use of piano, Lizzo’s ‘vamping,’ and in the overall structure of the chorus and verses.’
Lizzo had initially filed a complaint against the Raisens alleging that they had previously signed a waiver relinquishing claims to the song but came back after Truth Hurts topped the charts and demanded five percent each for helping create the quotable line.
She pleaded her case in the court of public opinion last year on social media when she wrote a lengthy defense of herself and her lyrics in the post which served to re-litigate her position in the years long battle over who came up with the words.
Countersuit: The lawsuit filed against Lizzo is a countersuit to one she previously filed against the trio to refute their claims to Truth Hurts, alleging they signed a waiver and relinquished their rights
Accusations: The countersuit included details from a musicologist who found ‘strikingly similar lyric and musical elements’ in Healthy and Truth Hurts and Variety reports that the suit claims ‘there are other musical similarities as well, in the use of piano, Lizzo’s ‘vamping,’ and in the overall structure of the chorus and verses’ (Lizzo performing on February 18)
‘Truth Hurts… but the truth shall set you free,’ Lizzo captioned her Instagram.
‘Hey y’all…as I’ve shared before, in 2017, while working on a demo, I saw a meme that resonated with me, a meme that made me feel like 100% that b**ch,’ she began.
‘I sang that line in the demo, and I later used the line in Truth Hurts. The men who now claim a piece of Truth Hurts did not help me write any part of the song,’ Lizzo said in her social post, refuting those claims. ‘They had nothing to do with the line or how I chose to sing it.’
During the previous battle of the line, the Raisens shared a video to Instagram that overlapped Lizzo’s vocals from Healthy and Truth Hurts singing the line.
Last year: Lizzo pleaded her case in the court of public opinion on social media last October when she wrote a lengthy defense of herself and her lyrics in the post which served to re-litigate her position in the years long battle over who came up with the words
Ironically, they had also admitted they hadn’t even come up with the lyric they were staking their claim too and had actually adapted it from a line on Twitter, originally penned by British singer Mina Lioness.
Mina was the first to accuse the rapper and flutist of pilfering the lyric in February 2018 who claimed she’d originally tweeted it a year before.
Lizzo wrote: ‘There was no one in the room when I wrote Truth Hurts, except me, Ricky Reed, and my tears. That song is my life, and its words are my truth.
She does concede that Mina was the originator of the phrase and went on to credit her in the post.
Fighting over the song: During the previous battle of the line, before it made it to the courts, the Raisens shared a video to Instagram that overlapped Lizzo’s vocals from Healthy and Truth Hurts singing the line
Get in line: This isn’t the first time Lizzo has been accused of stealing the line, Bitish singer Mina Lioness was the first to accuse the rapper and flutist of pilfering the lyric in February 2018 and claimed she’d originally tweeted it a year before
‘I later learned that a tweet inspired the meme. The creator of the tweet is the person I am sharing my success with…not these men. Period.’
‘Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my song. XOXO,’ Lizzo concluded.
Currently Lizzo (born Melissa Jefferson), Ricky Reed, Tele and Jesse Saint John are credited as writers on the song.
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six weeks straight and Lizzo took home the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance for Truth Hurts.
A hit! The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six weeks straight and Lizzo took home the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance for Truth Hurts