Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister who resigned in November amid an acute economic crisis and several sex scandals, has been accused of plagiarizing an Italian rapper in the new anthem for his political party People of Freedom, The Telegraph reports.

Called "People of Liberty," the song includes the line "We are the people who hope and who fight, who believe in the dream of liberty!," according to the British paper.

But Italian rap artist J-Ax, whose real name is Alessandro Aleotti, claims Berlusconi's song is similar to one of his own -- released in 2002 -- called "People who hope" ("Gente che spera").

Related: Berlusconi's next act: Love song CD

On his official Twitter account, J-Ax threatened to file a complaint against Berlusconi for plagiarism. "Tomorrow I will denounce Berlusconi," the artist tweeted.

Berlusconi, 75, is no stranger to the music world. Late last year, Berlusconi released “True Love,” his latest CD of love songs. The CD is the fourth record he has produced with Neapolitan singer and guitar player Mariano Apicella, who since 2003 has been considered the personal minstrel of Berlusconi.

While he was a young student, Berlusconi paid for his studies by working as a crooner on cruise ships.

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