Queensland Christians Sue Young Rappers

Australian-bred Christian rock band Newsboys have filed a lawsuit against Californian hip hop duo New Boyz, claiming the young act's name is too similar to that of the Christian superstars and that fans are confusing the two acts.

“The New Boyz music is sexually charged and the lyrics are sexually explicit in content,” the lawsuit complains, going on to say that there have been “several instances of actual confusion” between the groups.

The suit goes on to make a confusing comment relating to the ethnicity of both the hip hop group and the vocalist of the Newsboys, Michael Tait, who joined the band in 2009, making him the first non-white member in the group's history.

“The lead singer for The News Boys, Michael Tait and the members of the Warner Bros. group, The New Boyz are of the same ethnic and Hip-Hop origins,” it reads.

You can read the full lawsuit here, courtesy of the Nashville Post.

Newsboys, who originate from Mooloolaba on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, boast an enormous following among Christian audiences the world over, with six of their 16 albums certified Gold in the USA and 28 number one singles on the US Christian Charts since their 1985 formation.

In the suit, the band and their “owner” Wesley Campbell, request a full jury trial be brought against New Boyz, alleging state trademark infringement, unfair competition, deceptive trade practices and fraudulent misrepresentation. They ask for compensation to the tune of $5 million, which they claim to be the amount of money “wrongfully derived by Defendants through its/their unlawful acts,” as well as punitive damages and attorneys' fees.

The band took particular offense to the lyrics in the New Boyz song Backseat, a song which features the line, "You want a New Boy in you."

A preliminary court date has been set for Monday 27 August.

Now based in the US with no remaining original members, Newsboys were originally known as The News in Australia but changed their name in the late '80s to avoid confusion with Huey Lewis & The News.