Beyonce defends using dead rapper’s voice after being sued

Beyonce’s team has responded to a $20million lawsuit from the estate of a dead rapper sampled on her worldwide hit Formation.

The superstar’s legal team claim the use of the six-second clip was ‘reasonable and justified’,’ according to legal papers seen by TMZ.

In the sample one minute into the track, Anthony Barre, who went by the name Messy Mya onYouTube, can be heard saying ‘I like that.’ 

Distinctive voice: Anthony Barre, who went by the name Messy Mya on YouTube, can be heard saying ‘Oh yeah baby, I like that’; he was shot dead in 2010

Barre’s estate had claimed in a lawsuit filed in New Orleans federal court earlier this year that permission was not given for the YouTube star’s voice to be used.

The complaint alleged that Barre’s estate received no payment or acknowledgment and requested $20million in back royalties.

Barre was fatally shot in 2010.

In addition to Beyonce, the suit named several songwriters, the video’s director and companies owned by Warner Music Group. Representatives for Beyonce and WMG didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Beyonce was widely applauded for the 2016 song which celebrates Southern black culture and makes poignant commentary about police violence and 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed large parts of The Big Easy. 

Politically motivated: Beyonce was widely applauded for the 2016 song which celebrates Southern black culture and makes poignant commentary about police violence and 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed large parts of The Big Easy