Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign Sued by Donna Summer Estate for Unauthorized Sample on Vultures 1 Album – Report
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign are being sued by Donna Summer's estate for using an unauthorized sample on Vultures 1.
Kanye West Sued by Donna Summer Estate for Unauthorized Sample
On Tuesday (Feb. 27), Donna Summer's second husband and executor of her estate Bruce Sudano filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against both Ye and Ty Dolla $ign. The suit claimed the artists used Summer's track "I Feel Love" in their Vultures 1 song "Good (Don't Die)" without permission. The estate also named Yeezy Record Label, LLC, the company Yzy Snd and 10 Does as defendants, as reported by Pitchfork.
The complaint reads that a company representing Kanye and Ty called Alien Music first reached out to the estate to request permission to sample "I Feel Love."
“In considering Defendants’ request, the Summer Estate not only considered the immense commercial value of the ‘I FEEL LOVE’ composition, but also the potential degradation to Summer’s legacy,” it reads. “West is known as a controversial public figure whose conduct has led numerous brands and business partners to disassociate from him.”
Summer's estate denied Kanye's request in early February and clarified the denial meant an "absolute prohibition" from using the song in any capacity. The suit claims that the YS pair then went to the late singer's former label Universal Music Enterprises to ask them for sampling permission. The label also said no, but "in the face of these repeated denials" the "I Feel Love" sample appeared on Vultures 1 when the album dropped on Feb. 10.
XXL has reached out to Kanye West's team for further comment.
Read More: Kanye West Refuses to Use Bunny Pen to Sign Fan's Autograph
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign Remove "Good (Don't Die)" From Streaming
The suit comes after Ty and Ye already removed "Good (Don't Die)" from streaming services back on Feb. 15. Summer's estate had come out and protested Ye's use of her 1977 disco ballad.
Summer's family aren't the only people criticizing Ye for sample issues. Ozzy Osbourne slammed Kanye West for his use of Black Sabbath's 1983 live track "War Pigs" during a listening party for his Vultures 1 album in Chicago. The Black Sabbath sample was removed from the final version of the album.
