“Black Effect,” one of the songs from Beyonce and Jay-Z’s collaborative album as The Carters, begins with a recording of a woman speaking about love. That woman is Jamaican dancer, choreographer, and artist Dr. L’Antoinette Stines, and it would seem she is not thrilled about her inclusion on the song: TMZ reports Stines is suing Jay-Z and Beyonce over the track.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court on Tuesday, Stines was contacted by the famous couple in March 2018 to provide dancers for a promotional video for their then-upcoming tour. After getting the dancers, Stines was asked to be recorded speaking about her thoughts on love, and she was apparently told the conversation would be used “for promotional purposes” only, not in a song.
A contract was allegedly only given to Stines the day of the shoot, and she apparently signed without having the paperwork reviewed by her lawyer. She also claims she hasn’t been paid for her vocal work. Stines was surprised to hear her voice on “Black Effect,” and the suit said she felt “artistically raped.”
Stines is suing Beyonce and Jay-Z for copyright infringement and violation of her right to publicity. She is seeking damages and a writing credit on the song.
Neither Beyonce nor Jay-Z have publicly responded to the lawsuit.
