The Swarm

July 04, 2009

UPDATE: Did Black Eyed Peas Steal Freeland's 'Mancry'?

Todd Roberts

In late 2007, I got a chance to check out Adam Freeland’s newest project, Freeland, as it was coming together. He was still recording a majority of the tracks and had yet to mix and master them. He was most proud of this sort of “interlude” track he had recorded with Tommy Lee on drums, which he hadn’t shared the name for yet. Since then, he continued to build his vision, tweaking and retweaking. Finally, he began to sequence, come up with a theme and visual ideas, which I helped him find design collective, the KDU, to assist with.

The album, Cope, was finally ready late last year and started getting a buzz from early previews. After getting a copy of it myself, I noticed a particularly introspective track called “Mancry” which was a polished version of the track I’d heard before, with Tommy Lee’s drums at the forefront, sweeping synth lines and, our friend, Matt Diehl as the vocal sample.

So when the Black Eyed Peas album came out last month, which recently hit #1 on the Billboard 200 chart as well as the Hot 100, there was one track in particular that stood out, “Party All The Time”. Not because it was such an amazing track, but because it was very familiar. It’s been discussed that the Peas had gone decidedly more electronic and dance-oriented on this new one. (Will.I.Am could even be seen donning a mask and DJing a heavy electro set at last year’s Hard Fest in LA.)

Turns out, Adam Freeland seems to agree that his track was bitten. If you check out the tracks next to each other, as he suggests, it seems very apparent that the Black Eyed Peas have straight up sampled the whole track as a backing to their vocals, and it could hardly even be considered a rearrangement. Check out Lee’s drums as a focal point of the track.

While representatives for the Peas have yet to be contacted about whether they tried to clear the sample, Adam sent a Twitter message earlier today to share that he is more than suspicious as well…

Apparently, no action has been taken Lawyers for each party have apparently been in contact, but compare the two for yourself. You decide. Did the Peas steal Freeland’s “Mancry” for their soon to be sales award winning release, The E.N.D.?

FLASHBACK: Remember when Will.i.am ripped off Daft Punk and got shut down?

UPDATE: Times of Malta

The band reacted to an accusation of plagiarism, with Party All The Time said to have the beginning of Man Cry.

They explained that this was not a case of plagiarism, in that the band’s manager had offered them a beat and it was a case of working together.

“It was a lack of finalising legalities before releasing the record, clearance was not done and that was what it was about.”

Check out Freeland’s original track “Mancry”:


Check out Black Eyed Peas’ “Party All The Time”:



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Previous comments include

#1 Nick says:

Alright so the synth setting is very similar which is suspicious but you honestly think this freeland guy is gonna be able to charge the black eyed peas for stealing his three note melody? its barely even a chord progression its just F - E - F!!!! I really wouldn't put it past will.i.am to be able to sit down at a keyboard and play those three notes. if coldplay can get away with the similarities in viva la vida then the peas are not going to pay a cent to this guy.

#2 Paul says:

That's terrible. I miss the good old days of sample madness eg PWEI but I think using an entire track as backing for your lame ass white bread rap is arrogant and low.

#3 ummm.... says:

The Peas are shit dicks but I dont see that one going anywhere...that is just house for house the sound of the genere..to be a little less fair i didnt hear the whole of each of the tracks but from the bite...im not havin it.

#4 Dave says:

god that's it the whole sample jesus they are both boring. seriously boring sht

#5 jakt says:

ok, anyone that seriously believes that will.i.am or whatever BEP ghost writer they used simply "fluked" into the same melody, same synth patch, and same timing is a coincedence should stop listening to music.

this is stealing. flat out. ATTN: pop hop fans - all your fav "producers" are hacks. if they didnt steal from good artists, they wouldnt be where they are now.

#6 jakt says:

also, you can hear the effing drum fills off the Freeland track behind the BEP track ffs. they arent even hiding it. they could have easily taken just the synth part and used that alone, instead they clipped the low off and ran the track ENTIRELY under their craptastic vocals.

failboat. sue them blind.

#7 Dave says:

it would appear that at least your work life is about as easy as it gets, black eyed peas. way to hack.

#8 killkillkill says:

The Black Eyed Peas version is plainly a ripoff, and they should be sued into oblivion. Let us not forget they've done this before. Remember the "I Got It From My Mama" remix they had to abort because Daft Punk threw the le veto at them for not clearing the "Around the World" sample -- and will.I.am had already completed a full music video for it (which also ripped off Daft Punk).

#9 fruity says:

you have to listen to the whole song. when you hear the synth sound and the drumming you can hear it's completely the freeland song. i hope they sue the shit out of them.

#10 freelandsucks says:

too bad "party all the time" was recorded last year. seems as if your "cheapland" friend took THEIR track. i recommend you shit head shut the fuck up and get your story straight.

#11 Nell says:

Looooooooooooool Bep rocks it better, even if they did take it. The 'original' artists is just boring as hell.

#12 ellgieff says:

@ freelandsuck (#10): It appears that Freeland first started on this track in 2007. I realise that math may be beyond you, so let's do this slowly:
This year is 2009.

Last year (when you claim the BEP's recorded their version - unlikely, given the way MOR pop music is made, but we'll let you have this one) was 2008.

2007 is before 2008.

I recommend you kill yourself.

#13 mike says:

@ paul - BIG ups on the PWEI mention... made my night, they're one of my favorites... sample it, loop it, fuck it and eat it!

#14 BEP RULEZ says:

Freeland's song is f***ing boring
BEP 4ever!!!

#15 LISANLOVESTABOOOFTHEBLACKEYEDPEAS says:

WELL YOU ONLY HAVE A MELODY NOT EVEN A TEXT ON IT -.- AND TH BALCK EYED PEAS HAVE MADE IT A VERY GOOD SONG SO YOU MUST BE RPOUD ETC... THAT THEY EVEN TOOK IT!

PEACE 4 THE BLACK EYED PEAS! <3

BEP TILL INFINITY! <4

#16 Fuglilicious says:

Remember when the Black Eyed Peas were (gasp) GOOD? God, "Joint and Jams" seems like ages ago. But that was B.F. (Before Fergie). Now they're just sell-outs, now shilling for Target.
I still can't believe will went and made a remix AND video sampling Daft Punk without clearance. Take them to the cleaners, Adam!

#17 randy says:

You can hear Tommie Lee's drums in the background of the BEP track. This is straight up stealing. Case closed.

#18 Deaf1 says:

Also sounds like they stole a Coldplay melody for it. Can the BEP's do ONE thing thats not derivitive? Ughhh...I feel myself get stupider every time I hear them

#19 nnn says:

this is so stupid
bep rules

#20 Nope says:

BEP = Massive Fail.

#21 Mai says:

i'm sure they bought the rights fair and square w/ Freeland even knowing. A lot of publishers/labels don't even tell their artist that something of theirs is being sampled as long as they have cash in hand.

#22 cathy says:

Fuck all of you. Music is a melody and a song, not a set of beats or crap like that. Perez is a whiny bitch and crying still. Does everybody that sings in the key of "G" copy from other people? No, music is music people, so shut the fuck up.

#23 Robert says:

cathy, you are an idiot.

#24 bradley says:

stop with the sensationalist headlines... they didn't really steal it if there was negotiations going on with the intent of clearing the sample.

It's just another case of will.i.am getting ahead of himself.

And it's spelled "confirmed" not "comfirmed."

#25 Charlie Hoarse says:

hi cathy - just wanted to drop in a say fuck you. thats all. have a nice day.

#26 Amy says:

It is well known that most artists are thieves, but this sucks. B.E.P. need to pay up because this is downright plagiarism. So, you thought they were your friends, and they stole from you. Hollywood vampires struck again. Los Angeles is a beautiful place to live, but many people in the music industry or fashion industry are not what they seem. Don't get blinded by the glamour, the fame, the money or the gigantic beauty. They want to suck your blood to make themselves more alive. FUCK B.E.P. Top 40 bull shit!!! Freeland doesn't suck btw. I call this situation Life in L.A. lesson 101.

#27 killkillkill says:

It says something terrible about the state of music-as-art when this situation can be explained away as a legal malfunction.

IT IS NOT RIGHT TO JUST CUT-AND-PASTE PEOPLE'S MUSIC AND CALL IT YOUR OWN. It doesn't matter if it's legal!

There's sampling and then there's sampling. What we are seeing more and more are media players like BEP borrowing unknown work from relatively unknown artists and packaging it as their own stuff. Even if it's legally kosher, it's not right. Daft Punk have obviously danced around this line but at least they do give back. will.I.am is just a parasite.

#28 jules says:

my real concern here is, how the fuck does that band end up in #1 of anything?

#29 Nicole says:

omgggg i saw some thing similar to this on perez hiltons website oomggggg
the beat sounds almost exactly the same im pretty suree ! .. i mean im not an expert but im 99% sure its the same beat exactly the same the only difference is the words.. what losers can even come up with their own beats. no talent assholes, who cant take criticism at all.

#30 ARAJAY says:

"the band’s manager had offered them a beat." WTF do the 4 people in the band actually do, just come up with new ways to make rhymes by S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G words out?

adam freeland gots to get paid, son.

#31 Patey says:

Anybody who doesnt agree that this is straight up stealing is a fucking idiot.

Yes, its possible to have similar chord progressions in different songs, but you can hear the fucking drums that Tommy recorded. Give me a fucking break.

The Black Eyed Hacks need to rot in hell for this. Fucking embarassing to the music industry.

Kill self now.

Fuck you Cathy.

#32 Raoul says:

I'm confused, if you listen to Black Eyed Peas album there is not one original piece of work on it.

#33 musicfan010 says:

Honestly so what if they stole it? Many artists have stolen other artists songs for decades. It just how the buisness works now

#34 DHM says:

There's a huge difference between saying that artists have stolen other artist's music by being influenced (1) or by just "taking" it (2).

In the first situation (1), for instance, someone takes one chord progression and plays it again with their own equipment, etc. You can't really avoid that, and it's mostly fine. (See the Coldplay vs Satriani case for a situation where the "copying" band should be left alone, because it could be totally unintentional).

In the second situation (2), like in this particular case, they just took the song, and put lyrics on it. They took the EXACT same music, bit for bit. It's the actual Freeland recording, cut, sequenced and looped differently, but the sound is taken directly from the recording.
That is unacceptable, unless you have the rights to do so, which they didn't. The only discussion is on that point. You need rights to do that, they didn't have it, therefore it's plagiarism and they will probably lose the case.

Saying that it is morally or ethically right or wrong is irrelevant, it's a matter of point of view. I personally think it's fine, as long as you don't make money out of it.

#35 Snake Feather says:

What kills me is how BEP and other pop artists like to look like they're at the forefront of this steady shift toward electronic dance music in pop culture, when all they're doing is ripping off from people who were light years ahead of them. BEP are not geniuses for putting techno and house sounds into pop music. The are followers who just know which way the wind is blowing. Give some props to people who are really pushing the next shit, not people who are biting from the true creativity in the underground and then selling it to the masses in a pretty package, getting rich off the creativity of the underground. That shit pisses me off.

#36 pat says:

lol, I hope BEP goes down for this, very unacceptable and disrespectful. Ive lost all interested in BEP and really really hope they have to pay out the ass for this. Shame on you rich punks

#37 pat says:

And btw, Nell and all you other idiots, the track has a very specific meaning and specific placement within the mix. I wouldn't critize mancry without hearing the other tracks you dumb fucks.

#38 pat says:

And btw, Nell and all you other idiots, the track has a very specific meaning and specific placement within the mix. I wouldn't criticize Mancry without hearing the other tracks on Cope you dumb fucks.

#39 Dean says:

I really believe in Adam Freeland and his music, and him claiming that his music was stolen outright is a serious, serious accusation. I don't believe he would do it unless he was 100% sure that it was taken.
If the Black eyed peas did steal it, then they must get what they deserve.
Fuckers!


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