Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson have been accused of stealing hit record ‘Uptown Funk’ by an ’80s girl band.
According to TMZ, The Sequence – who were one of the first all female rap groups – have claimed that Mars and Ronson used their 1979 hit ‘Funk You Up’ as inspiration for the worldwide smash song.
The group’s rep Kali Bowyer has claimed that the hook on both songs are the same, adding that there are other similarities as well.
Check out the two songs below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_gF1v1xZDc
The website adds that The Sequence, consisting of members Angie Stone, Cheryl the Pearl and Blondy, haven’t filed a lawsuit yet, stating the reports for now, are “rumblings”.
It’s not the first time the song has come under fire, with 1970s group Gap Band claiming that there were similarities between ‘Uptown Funk’ and their own hit, ‘Oops, Up Side Your Head’ last year.
Ronson was later forced to add five new writers to ‘Uptown Funk’ in a bid to avoid a ‘Blurred Lines’ style lawsuit, where Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke had to pay Marvin Gaye’s family for the likeness between Gaye’s 1977 song ‘Got To Give It Up’ and the 2013 chart-topper.
The news comes after ‘Uptown Funk’ won the coveted ‘Record of the Year’ accolade at the Grammy Awards last week (February 15). It was also the biggest selling single of 2015.