John Cena and WWE Being Sued Over Cena's Entrance Music

[Italian MVP]

The following has been posted on TMZ.com:

The guys of '90s hard-core rap group M.O.P. say John Cena and the WWE jacked one of their songs for John's entrance music and they're alleging some pretty slippery moves in the process.

Jamal Grinnage and Eric Murray -- that's Lil' Fame and Billy Danze -- want to put the kill switch on Cena's song, "The Time Is Now," saying it borrows heavily from their hit "Ante Up." In a federal lawsuit, they claim WWE's lawyers actually found some person to sign off on the license who was only a receptionist and didn't have authority to do so.

The biggest point of actual musical contention is one non-English line -- "BRRR Abado" -- that appears in the original song once, and in JC's song three times.

The suit asks for destruction of Cena's song and $150K from the defendants. No word from Cena or WWE yet

 

[Dead Kennedy]

Heh, well I guess that's what happened when one forgotten, washed-up talentless rap group need money. Although I sort of thought that "Ante Up" was a cool song back then, everything else I heard from M.O.P. has sucked the big one.

Either way, WWE have good enough legal protection to be able to win this one should think. Or they could just pay them the money they want. Either way, I guess this means John Cena is gonna need a new entrance theme...that'd be hard to picture, really. The intro always draws that reaction from the crowd, like all functioning entrance music should. It's not equal to reaction that the "glass shattering" draws (unless the crowd is Phoenix, AZ I guess...Jesus, did you overdose on sleeping pills prior to attending Cyber Sunday?) but it draws a good reaction. Either way, it's not irreplaceable. But I don't really see M.O.P. having a strong case here...

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Hmmm, so it's taken them nearly three years to realise that someone has ripped them off? Pah-leez!!!! Hardcore Ken hit the nail on the head. Purely clutching at straws for the $$$. I don't expect anything to change at all, and maybe 3 more bulletins about it on this site which reveal nothing of importance until the suit is eventually dropped.

 

[nitefightr69]

So sad that these washed-up rappers are trying to sue John Cena and WWE over the supposed stealing of their lyrics. Bet that $75k a piece that they would get IF they actually had a snowball's chance in hell of winning this lawsuit would buy several 8-balls.

 

[THE Madcap]

That being said, I did actually think Cena's theme was some sort of M.O.P remix when ?I 1st heard it. Hopefully this will encourage Cena to go back to the Basic Thuganomics theme and the cena we all know and love...

 

[Harthan]

Two options.

A) Destroy MOP in court, considering they can most likely afford only a lawyer or two while WWE has a full fledged legal team.

B) Pay them off, as whatever they're asking cannot possibly be enough to damage the WWE in any way.

Frankly, their entire stand is very fragile. If the song was called "Brrr Abado" then maybe they would get some credit. But they only use it to open the song and it has no major impact on the song. It's possible they didn't even invent it. In any case, it's not a trademark of the group nor is it a major part of the song. Two songs open with the same lyrics. It's happened in the history of the world at some point, I'm sure. They just want money, and they're probably going to get it because the WWE probably won't want to go through the lawsuit.

 

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

This was bound to happen. I mean when Diamond Dallas Page got paid out the ass for suing rappers who he said infringed on his trademark hand gestures, it was only going to be a matter of time before a rapper turned around and did the same. of course, I can't say that I really find ANY similarities between Ante Up and My Time Is Now. Even if the one line was used, if you don't copyright it or use it often enough, then you pretty much can't lay claim to it. And if you do, does that mean that you are now going to go around suing anybody who you hear utter it? That's completely obsured and baseless.

If MOP were smart, they would take the effort that it took them to bring about this pointless lawsuit and get their asses back in the studio or do some cameos and try to recertify themselves in the rap community as this lawsuit will only make them nothing more than a joke and make them look weak beyond any and all repairable ends. I do hope that they come to their senses.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

You know, funny enough, the FIRST TIME I heard Cena's entrance them, I said to myself "oh shit, thats MOP at the beginning of it!!!" becuase that thing thats said at the begining is a trademark MOP sort of battle cry, and im fairly sure its even Billy Danze's voice saying it at the beginning. Crazy its finally coming around. Unfortunately for MOP, I dont think they have much of a case. If WWE has sighned paperwork, then they have sighned paperwork, and thats pretty much the end of discussion. Its not their fault someone who wasnt qualified to sighn it decided to step up and do so.

 

[Shocky]

Oh you just got Norcal'd boy!

On a serious note, this is nothing more then a weak, weak ass attempt at trying to get cheap publicity. Seriously, your only suing for 150K, that's freaking weak. We're talking about the WWE, a publically traded company, and John Cena, a pretty damn good multi media star. A theme song that has been used for several years now, and someone is only asking for 150,000.

It's a very poor attempt at trying to get somethign that you shouldn't get, and it's pathetic. The only thing positive that could possibly come from this, we get Basic Thuganomics back. ownage.