The estate of Anthony Barré, affectionately known by fans and friends as Messy Mya, has filed a lawsuit against Beyonce after the singer used a sound byte from his viral YouTube video in her video for “Formation”.
The Youtube star, who was shot and killed outside of his baby shower in New Orleans, was known to throw shade and make wisecracks. A few seconds from his 2010 viral video, “A 27 Piece Huh,” featuring Messy Mya saying “Oh yeah, baby. I like that,” was used in the video version of Beyonce’s “Formation,” which debuted in 2016. Barré’s estate says that Beyonce used the snippet without permission and went on to make millions off the song. They also say they tried talking to Beyonce about the sample but says she blew them off.
The estate is asking for $20,000,000 in back royalties and other damages.
Aside from Messy Mya, Big Freedia’s voice was also featured in the video. According to the ‘Queen of Bounce’, to his surprise, Beyonce approached him about doing the track because she was a fan of his New Orleans sound. Freedia recalls the phone call from Beyonce being a “bigger than life moment.”
Watch Messy Mya’s video below.
