Jay Z and Timbaland appear in court for the second day of trial accused of using sample from Egyptian love ballad in Big Pimpin' without permission

Rapper Jay Z and producer Timbaland have appeared in court for the second day of their trial for allegedly using a sample in Big Pimpin' without the original artist's permission.

The the original artist heirs are suing the two stars, saying they did not have the rights to use the 1957 song.

Jay Z said while speaking to the press: 'We have the rights as you can see on the bottom of the CD.'

The courtroom burst into laughter when he was asked by his attorney about artists her had inspired, including Rihanna and Kanye West.

'Some people may have heard of him,' Jay Z's attorney Andrew Bart said of West.

'One or two. He's running for president,' the rapper replied.

When Pete Ross, the lawyer for Hamdi's heirs, attempted to show him a passage in a book Jay Z had written about his lyrics, the performer wryly said: 'You can read it from over there.'

The rapper was more serious when questioned about the rights to Khosara Khosara, which he said he thought had been properly negotiated after issues were raised following the release of Big Pimpin'.

The Empire State of Mind rapper gave mostly curt answers, responding 'yes' or 'no' or 'correct' to many questions.

Lawyers for Jay Z and Timbaland, whose real name is Timothy Mosely, told jurors yesterday that Hamdi's family had been repeatedly paid for the use of Khosara Khosara.

Four notes from the song's 74 notes are repeated throughout Big Pimpin', a music expert testified Wednesday.

Jay Z said Mosely introduced the Khosara Khosara melody to him just as he was about to leave a meeting. He said there wasn't anything like it on the radio at the time, and he put together the bulk of the song over the next few hours.

The rapper said he likes working with Timbaland because they push each other.

'He tells me his beats are better than my raps. I tell him my raps are better than his beats,' Jay Z said. 'It's an ongoing thing that I keep winning.'

Mosely and many in the courtroom laughed.

Jay Z sang the producer's praises, calling him a genius whose work transcends any one genre.

He said the song featured 'adult lyrics' and he still enjoyed performing it.

'I like the song,' he said. 'It's pretty good.'