The Gap Band already had a victory from it and now the Zapp Band, if they have it their way, are about to come up! That’s according to recent reports that the company that controls their copyrights, Lastrada Entertainment, filed a lawsuit on their behalf.

First The Gap Band Won

Y’all know the song, “Uptown Funk,” by Mark Ronson (producer) and singer, Bruno Mars, right? That joint still hits hard on radio TV, film, wherever. It released in 2014 and became one of the biggest hits  of that year, going 11 times platinum and getting streamed a few BILLION times online. Dayumn!

That following year, Billboard reported that publishing company,  Minder Music, filed a legal complaint on behalf of The gap Band, stating that “Uptown Funk” stole elements of their 1979 hit, “Oops Upside Your Head.” As a result, The Gap Band members were added as 5 additional writers to “Uptown Funk” and to this day they’re reportedly getting 17% of the earnings from that mega hit. And again I say…dayumn!

Why The New Zapp Band Song Lawsuit?

‘Dayumn’ is probably also what Lastrada Entertainment is saying about those earnings, because now they are looking to get paid from it. According to the lawsuit they’ve filed against Mark Ronson (but not Bruno Mars, because he was just featured on Ronson’s song), the other producers of the song, Apple Music, and Spotify, “Uptown Funk” jacked parts of Zapp Band’s “More Bounce To The Ounce,” for 48 seconds of the song:

Via LiveForLiveMusic– The lawsuit has been filed by Lastrada Entertainment, a licensing company and owner of the rights to Zapp’s music. In the lawsuit against Ronson and company, Lastrada Entertainment alleges that Mark Ronson’s megahit sounds eerily similar to Zapp’s 1980 hit “More Bounce To The Ounce,” specifically calling out the first 48 seconds of “Uptown Funk” for plagiarism. […] One thing that’s for sure is that this lawsuit is sure to be costly for both parties, with such suits frequently costing into the millions and spanning years and multiple appeals.

Do They Sound Similar?

Check out the songs below and let us know if you think “Uptown Funk” sounds like Zapp Band’s “More Bounce To The Ounce”…
Zapp Band “More Bounce To The Ounce”

Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk”