Hip-hop mogul Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has appealed to a federal judge to drop a lawsuit accusing him of illegal wage practices. The star was sued by former 40/40 nightclub waitress Celeste Williams in May, who insists Carter and his business partner Juan Perez paid their staff below minimum wage.

But in court papers filed on Tuesday, Carter and Perez argue they are shareholders in the New York nightspot, and do not play any part in staffing issues.

Their lawyers suggest Carter was targeted because of his fame, arguing in court documents, "It may be plaintiffs named these individuals as defendants solely because Shawn Carter is a public figure and plaintiffs hoped to draw publicity to extract a quick settlement."

It continues that while Carter "is a Grammy Award-winning rapper and businessman who is of obvious interest to the media and the public" he is not "a statutory employer" and has "no role in payroll whatsoever".

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)