Popstar Katy Perry is being sued by a Christian hip-hop artist for plagiarizing one of his songs on her 2013 hit "Dark Horse".
In a lawsuit filed to Missouri District Court on Tuesday, rapper Flame claims Perry ripped off his acclaimed religious track "Joyful Noise" and used the same melody and beat, The Guardian reports.
Flame, (his real name is Marcus T Gray) states in the lawsuit his 2008 song has been "irreparably tarnished by its association with the witchcraft, paganism, black magic and Illuminati imagery evoked by the same music in 'Dark Horse'".
In addition, the rapper claims that the "Firework" singer infringed copyright and profited from use of the Grammy-nominated song "Joyful Noise" without permission.
The producers of the Flame album, including DJ Cho'zyn Boy, Chike Ojukwu, Lecrae Moore and Emmanuel Lambert have filed the lawsuit along with the rapper and will seek a jury trial, a ban on the song and unspecified financial damages.
DJ Cho'zyn Boy created a track with the two songs one after the other to prove that Perry plagiarized the music. He explained that the original is recorded at 76 beats per minute, 10 beats per minute faster than Perry's, and the only other difference is that the pitch of Dark Horse is an octave lower. According to Rapzilla, it will be difficult for the singer and her legal team to dispute anything different.
This is not the first time a religious group has spoken out against the "I Kissed a Girl" singer.
In February, more than 60,000 people demanded removal of an allegedly offensive scene showing an Islamic necklace burned by lightning shot from Perry's fingers, with some Muslims calling it was "blasphemous."
In addition, her "Dark Horse" music video has been denounced by Christian groups for its "dark, satanic" elements and "sacrilegious" imagery.
Ironically, Perry's 2001 debut album was a Christian rock album, including songs like "Faith Won't Fail" and "Piercing", in which the popstar sings, "Lord, help me see the reality / That all I'll ever need is You".
However, Perry, whose parents are Pentecostal parents, has since renounced her Christian faith.
"I don't believe in a heaven or a hell or an old man sitting on a throne," she told Marie Claire last December.
"I believe in a higher power bigger than me because that keeps me accountable. I'm not Buddhist, I'm not Hindu, I'm not Christian but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God."
