Jay Z is facing legal action over a sample he supposedly used in the 2009 hit 'Run This Town'.

Record label TufAmerica has announced that it is suing the hip-hop star - who is married to Beyonce - for the use of the single syllable sample ''oh'', which is allegedly taken from Eddie Bo's 1969 single 'Hook and Sling'.

However, the rapper has hit back at the accusation, with a statement from his lawyers reading: ''Even if one short word - or the recording thereof - could possibly be deemed original enough to warrant copyright protection, this fleeting and generic phrase is neither quantitatively nor qualitatively significant.''

Jay Z is currently waiting to see whether their motion to dismiss the lawsuit will be accepted.

Meanwhile, it was reported earlier this week that Beyonce and Jay Z are working on a new album together.

The married couple - who have two-year-old daughter Blue Ivy together - are planning to head into the recording studio together for a record, which is likely to be released later this year or early 2015.

The claim was made by DJ Skree on his Dash Radio show. He said: ''I have confirmed and talked to a couple sources.''