Academy Award-winning rap group Three 6 Mafia asked for the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by man who claimed he was severely beaten at a concert when fans followed lyrics of the song "Let's Start A Riot."

An attorney for the group filed a motion last week in Allegheny County Court saying there is no "genuine issue of material fact" to the complaint. The lyrics are protected under the First Amendment, the motion said.

Ramone Williams claimed in his lawsuit that he was beaten during a concert at a now-defunct Pittsburgh nightclub on Aug. 26, 2003.

Williams, who was 19 at the time, said he got into the club and became uneasy when the song began. Before it was over, Williams alleges, he was thrown to the floor, hit with a chair, stomped on and kicked in the face. His injuries included a fractured jaw.

Williams won a default judgment against the club. It closed, and its former operators did not answer the complaint.

Three 6 Mafia, of Memphis, Tenn., won an Oscar this year for the song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the film "Hustle & Flow."