Jay Z Asks Judge To Keep Criminal Past Out Of Civil Trial

Jay Z wants to keep his rap sheet out of an upcoming civil trial.

The hip-hop superstar has asked a California judge to bar any mention of his criminal past during a trial that charges he swiped a song sample for his smash “Big Pimpin’,” TMZ reported Tuesday.

That would include a 1999 arrest for allegedly stabbing a rival record producer. He wound up taking a misdemeanor assault plea.

The multi-media mogul, whose real name is Shawn Carter, also wants the federal judge to bar testimony about his net worth, the report said.

The judge is expected to rule at a later date.

Both Jay Z and Tim (Timbaland) Mosley were sued by a relative of an Egyptian composer named Baligh Hamdi in 2007, saying they’d ripped off his 1960 song “Khosara, Khosara.”

Timbaland has said in court papers that he thought he’d bought the rights.

Both Jay Z and Timbaland are expected to testify in the trial, which is slated to start next month.

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