KIMBERLY JONES - LIL' KIM LAUGHS OFF PLAGIARISM LAWSUIT

LIL' KIM LAUGHS OFF PLAGIARISM LAWSUIT

LATEST: Freshly released rapper LIL' KIM has dismissed a plagiarism lawsuit filed against her as an unfounded "money-making ploy". Jamaican reggae singer TANYA STEPHENS is suing the hip-hop star - who left prison last month (JUL06) after serving 10 months of a 366-day sentence for perjury - for reworking her song for the 2005 album THE NAKED TRUTH. Stephens alleges lyrics of Kim's track DURTY almost exactly match her song MI AND MI GOD, recorded in Jamaica and released in 1997. According to the suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, New York City last week (ends25AUG06), Kim even adopts a West Indian accent for it. In the past Lil' Kim, real name KIMBERLY JONES, has made no secret of her admiration for Stephens' work, even flying her to New York to sing on one of her albums. Her vocals never made the final version of the record. Jones' lawyer L LONDELL MCMILLAN tells AllHipHop.com, "The lawsuit against Atlantic Records and Lil' Kim is the result of Royalty Networks Inc's failed attempts to extract unreasonable sums and percentages of Lil' Kim's new song for an interpolated use of a song which happens all the time in hip-hop. "There are no damages to Tanya Stephens, they never objected until after their efforts failed, and Kim was and remains willing to be fair. "This matter should have been resolved but it appears to be another money and media play at Lil' Kim's expense. This issue was no secret. Kim was advised licenses were obtained by those who handle clearances at the time. We shall defend this action."