Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign cannot seem to escape the mess that is VULTURES 1. The album suffered through numerous delays and controversies. Most stemmed from West's controversial antics and public statements. Upon its release, however, VULTURES 1 was subject to a lawsuit by the estate of disco icon Donna Summer for an uncleared sample. The lawsuit was settled in June, but now it seems another one has taken its place. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign are being sued over yet another uncleared sample.
The sample in question is on the song "Fuk Sumn." The copyright infringement lawsuit has been filed by a trio of artists: Criminal Manne, DJ Squeeky and Kilo G. Per TMZ, the lawsuit claims the song sampled at the beginning of "Fuk Sumn" was taken from from the DJ Squeeky track "Drank a Yak (Part 2)." Criminal Manne is the rapper who spits the lyrics "Smokin' on a junt, with my n**gas drinkin’ O.E." Kilo G then gets sampled later on the track. The trio claim that they tried to negotiate with Alien Music when "Fuk Sumn" was first released.
Kanye West Allegedly Failed To Clear "Fuk Sumn" Sample
Unfortunately, Kanye West fired a large portion of his staff in May, and the negotiations never got off the ground. Criminal Manne, DJ Squeeky and Kilo G claim that they have yet to be paid royalties, despite the fact that their work was clearly sampled. They also claim that Kanye West's reps have not been in touch with them for several months. The trio are seeking damages for the runaround they feel they have been given since February 2024. This is merely the latest lawsuit that has been leveled against West in recent months.
The rapper was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by his ex-assistant, Lauren Pisciotta. He's also facing lawsuits from other former employees, many of which are stemming from his defunct school, Donda Academy. It gets worse. Kanye West is in the midst of finding new legal representation, and Ron Zambrano, an opposing attorney, derided the rapper for having "the attention span of a goldfish." The rapper will be forced into a default judgement unless he finds new representation soon.
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