Jay Z has given his testimony in a court case relating to the use of a sample in his 1999 hit 'Big Pimpin'.
Back in 2011 California federal judge Christina Snyder ruled that the use of a sample of Baligh Hamdy's 1957 track 'Khosara, Khosara' violated the composer's 'moral rights' as per Egyptian law.
Hamdy's relative Osama Ahmed Fahmy proceeded with a court case, centring on producer Timbaland's use of the sample. Jay Z took to the stand earlier this week, with the New York Times reporting that the hip-hop icon spoke for some 90 minutes.
"I didn’t think there was a sample in it," he said (via Billboard), "Timbaland presented me with a track. I didn’t even think about there being a sample."
Lawyers representing Jay Z and Timbaland reportedly told the court that Hamdi's family has been paid for use of the sample, which contains four of the 74 notes that make up 'Khosara, Khosara'.
Asked why he didn't check if the sample was cleared, Jay Z responded: "That’s not what I do. I make music." Attorney Andrew Bart asked him to expand, with the rapper reportedly responding: "I make music, I'm a rapper, I’ve got a clothing line, I run a label, a media label called Roc Nation, with a sports agency, music publishing and management. Restaurants and nightclubs … I think that about covers it."
As per Billboard, Bart then said: "I’m not so sure. You have a music streaming service [Tidal], don’t you?"
To which Jay Z replied: "Yeah, yeah. Forgot about that."
