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Kanye West sued over illegal sample allegations

Kanye West sued over claim of illegal sample on ‘Donda 2’

Kanye West sued over claim of illegal sample on ‘Donda 2’
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 02: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West attend the the Versace fall 2019 fashion show at the American Stock Exchange Building in lower Manhattan on December 02, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

June 29 (Reuters) - Rapper, producer and entrepreneur Kanye West, who legally changed his name to Ye last year, was sued on Wednesday for allegedly sampling a song by musician Marshall Jefferson without permission.

By Blake Brittain

Ultra International Music Publishing LLC said “Flowers” from West’s album “Donda 2” includes a sample from Jefferson’s 1986 dance song “Move Your Body” that is repeated at least 22 times.

A representative for West did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did West’s label Universal Music Group UMG.AS, which is not a party to the suit.

An attorney for Ultra International, which owns the rights to Jefferson’s song, said the company had no comment and believes the lawsuit speaks for itself.

Jefferson is a pioneer of house music from West’s hometown of Chicago. According to the lawsuit, West and his representatives acknowledged during talks with Jefferson that “Flowers” sampled “Move Your Body,” but did not take a license.

“West advocates for artists’ rights with one hand, yet has no shame in taking away rights from another artist with the other,” the lawsuit said.

West released “Donda 2” in February exclusively through his Stem Player, a handheld device that allows users to isolate and recombine song parts.

Kano Computing Ltd, a British company that developed the Stem Player with West and is also named in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit said “Flowers” is reportedly about West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian, whose petition to end their marriage was approved in March.

Texas pastor David Paul Moten sued West in May for allegedly sampling one of his sermons without permission. Read full story

West has previously settled lawsuits over samples of a Hungarian singer on the 2013 song “New Slaves;” a child’s prayer on the 2016 song “Ultralight Beam;” and a theater work about activist Marcus Garvey on “Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2),” a 2018 collaboration with rapper Kid Cudi.

 

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Alessandra Rafferty and Chris Reese)

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