LL Cool J's 1997 song "4,3,2,1," which is best known for sparking a lyrical battle between LL and upstart rapper Canibus, has stirred up more trouble in the form of a copyright infringement lawsuit.

Four rappers from seminal hip-hop group the Furious Five allege in a suit filed December 22 that "4,3,2,1" used a sample from their 1979 track "Superappin' " without permission.

"These people were the original rappers — these were the kids who were there," the Furious Five's lawyer, Steven Ames Brown, said. "Now they're the oldies themselves, and they're being used." The rappers — Melle Mel (born Melvin Glover), Kid Creole (Nathaniel Glover), Mr. Ness (Eddie Morris) and Rahiem (Guy Todd Williams) — are asking for damages from the owners of the copyright to "4,3,2,1," who include LL Cool J Music, Def Jam Records and Zomba Enterprises.

"Superappin' " was the first single released by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, who went on to record such hip-hop classics as "The Message." The defendants in the suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, could not be reached for comment Friday (December 29).

Brown and the Furious Five are also pursuing a similar lawsuit against Will Smith. They claim he used a sample from "Superappin' " on 1999's Willennium. "4,3,2,1," from LL's Phenomenon, includes guest raps by Canibus, DMX, Redman and Method Man. An exchange of insults in the song between LL and Canibus led to a months-long series of diss-and-response tracks from the rappers.