Lil Wayne Back in Court, Faces Copyright Infringement

A Florida singer filed a copyright infringement lawsuit Friday alleging rappers Lil Wayne and Birdman used his voice in songs on their 2006 album, without offering compensation.

The singer, Thomas Marasciullo, named the rappers, their record label Cash Money Records and various distribution outlets in the lawsuit, filed in a Manhattan federal court, the Associated Press reports.

Specifically, Marasciullo claims he recorded an "Italian-styled" spoken word soundtrack which was used in the song Respect on the album, Like Father, Like Son. He also claims to have written, recorded and copyrighted parts of several other tracks Birdman used in subsequent albums.

Marasciullo said he discovered the alleged infringement when his daughter was trying to purchase a ringtone of Aretha Franklin's Respect. He is seeking unspecified damages.

No stranger to the courts, Lil Wayne is currently free on bail while awaiting sentencing for gun charges.

The charge stems from events occurring on July 22, 2007, during which Manhattan police pulled over the recording artist's tour bus, claiming they had smelled marijuana smoke drifting out of the bus door as it left a concert venue minutes earlier. Once in the bus, police say the rapper tried to conceal a Louis Vuitton bag containing an unlicensed gun.

The rapper will be sentenced for the weapon charges in February.