Controvers-Ye: Donna Summer's Estate Sues Ye Over Unauthorised Sample in Chart-Topping Album
Disco legend Donna Summer's estate has filed a lawsuit against Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, accusing him of incorporating her iconic 1977 hit "I Feel Love" into his latest album, "Vultures 1," without permission.
Despite the estate's explicit rejection of the sample request, Ye and collaborator Ty Dolla $ign proceeded to use "instantly recognizable" parts of the song in their track "Good (Don't Die)," currently featured on the best-selling album in the U.S., according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that Ye attempted to bypass the denial by re-recording the hook with a different singer, violating the estate's "absolute prohibition" against the use of Summer's recording or a "soundalike." Summer’s estate are seeking monetary damages and a court injunction to permanently prevent Ye and Ty Dolla $ign from infringing on Summer's copyrights.
Summer's estate reportedly considered both the commercial value of "I Feel Love" and the potential harm to Summer's legacy by associating her work with a controversial figure like Ye before denying the request to use the sample. The lawsuit highlights the impact on Summer's legacy, as the unauthorised song was streamed millions of times before its removal, causing potential harm to the estate.
Ye’s Controversial History
This incident follows Ye's history of controversy, including anti-Semitic remarks that resulted in him being banned from X (formerly Twitter) in December 2022 and Adidas, the producers of Yeezy trainers, cutting ties with him. His account was restored in mid-2023.
The legal action also highlights a trend in Ye's recent album release, as Ozzy Osbourne also denied a sample request to use a live version of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man earlier in February for the same album, citing concerns about Kanye being "an anti-Semite." Despite the denial, Ye reportedly used the sample in a listening party for the album, but it is not present in the final version of the song.
