Grammy-winning phenom Mary J. Blige is facing a $2 million federal suit claiming music on her most recent No. 1 album, "Growing Pains," was stolen.
Producer Theron (NEEF-U) Feemster wrote the music for the song "Work That," but the tune is owned by Dream Family Entertainment Inc., according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan Federal Court.
The court filing claims the New York-based firm never gave Blige, Feemster or Geffen Records, the distributor, rights to use the song.
"Mr. Feemster created the music while he was under contract with Dream Family. Dream Family then owned the music, yet the music was used without permission in a Mary J. Blige release recording," said Dream lawyer Brian Caplan.
"It was released as an album, a single and in a commercial," Caplan said.
Rights to the lyrics of the song - which was featured with Blige in an iPod commercial - are not in question.
Geffen Records, Feemster and representatives for Blige didn't return calls.
Caplan said it was unclear if Blige knew the music belonged to someone other than Feemster, and said the producer "had no rights to the music he used."