Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Nicki Minaj is being sued over the alleged use of Tracy Chapman's song Baby Can I Hold You

Nicki Minaj is being sued by singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman over claims she sampled her song without permission.

A lawsuit has been filed over Nicki's track Sorry - which it's claimed she wanted to release on her album Queen - in a court in Los Angeles.

It's alleged the rapper used a sample from Tracy's 1988 hit Baby Can I Hold You - despite being told she couldn't.

Newsbeat has contacted a representative for Nicki Minaj for a comment.

Tracy Chapman has won four Grammys over a career spanning 20 years. Her last album Our Bright Future was released in 2008.

The lawsuit claims Nicki, real name Onika Tanya Maraj, tried several times to get permission to use the sample after she'd already recorded her song using it.

It says Tracy's representatives "repeatedly" denied the request.

It alleges the Super Bass singer went on to give the song to a DJ at a New York radio station - who teased it on his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

The court documents also claim that Funkmaster Flex played it on his radio show.

"This action is necessary to redress Maraj's disregard and wilful infringement of Chapman's rights under the Copyright Act, and to ensure that her misconduct is not repeated," the lawsuit adds.

The legal documents claim that in July, Nicki tweeted she had "no clue" she had sampled Tracy's song and asked whether she should keep to the release date for her album Queen or lose the song.

In another tweet she also "reached out" to Tracy to ask for permission to use the sample for Sorry.

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The lawsuit says Queen was released in August without the song included but it was played by Funkmaster Flex, real name Aston George Taylor, on his radio show.

The legal documents claim it was then reproduced on several different websites.

"Maraj wrongfully deprived Chapman of the right and opportunity to decide whether to allow the use of the composition, and, if so, on what terms," the lawsuit claims.

Newsbeat has also contacted Tracy Chapman's representatives for a comment.

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