Hip Hop kings Jay-Z and Kanye West have been named in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by legendary blues / soul artist Syl Johnson.  The complaint, which also names UMG and Def Jam Records, claims the two superstars used a sample from Johnson's 1967 hit, "Different Stokes," on a song from their new collaborative album, "Watch the Throne."

In a claim filed last Friday in an Illinois federal court, Johnson says the two artists used a portion of his song on "The Joy," without obtaining permission, releasing the song in August without giving Johnson credit or payment.  Johnson claims that West had previously planned to use the same sample for his "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" album, but could not obtain permission in time for the album's release.

Music sampling has become quite common in the hip-hop genre, and Syl Johnson is no stranger to filing claims against artists who use his music without permission.  Previous artists named in lawsuits filed by Johnson include legendary pop icon Michael Jackson, Cypress Hill, Jefferson Starship, the Wu-Tang Clan, and Kid Rock.