Home / Arts and Entertainment / Kanye West Takes Stand in Sample Lawsuit Trial
Kanye West Takes Stand in Sample Lawsuit Trial
7 May
Summary
- Ye testified in federal court regarding album Donda sample clearance.
- Producers allege an uncleared sample was used in a song demo.
- The rapper claims creators try to extract undue money from him.
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, testified in federal court on Wednesday regarding the sample clearance for his 2021 album, Donda. The trial centers on an early version of his Grammy-winning song "Hurricane."
Four music producers are claiming that Ye used an uncleared sample from their instrumental track in a demo of "Hurricane." This demo was reportedly played at a Donda pre-release listening party in July 2021.
Ye countered that his team followed the standard process for sample clearance and that the producers refused industry-standard splits. He expressed a belief that some creators try to exploit him financially due to his celebrity status. This lawsuit is one of several copyright cases Ye has faced for alleged use of unlicensed samples.
