Donna Summer’s estate accuses Kanye West of “blatant theft” for using her hit “I Feel Love” despite being denied permission for his new album.
Kanye West is facing legal action from the estate of iconic singer Donna Summer, who accuses him of appropriating parts of her music for his latest album.
The lawsuit, filed in California by Summer’s husband Bruce Sudano, claims that West sought permission to sample from Summer’s hit “I Feel Love” but proceeded to engage in what the estate calls “blatant theft” after their request was denied.
Ty Dolla $ign, whose real name is Tyrone Griffin, is also implicated in the lawsuit. The estate alleges that West and Griffin incorporated “instantly recognizable” elements of Summer’s song into their track “Good (Don’t Die),” despite objections stemming from West’s “controversial history.”
According to court documents, the estate was approached for clearance on January 31, only to have their request denied. However, the album containing the contested track was released on February 10.
During this period, representatives for West and Griffin also allegedly sought clearance for the master recording of the song from Summer’s record label, which was similarly denied.
The contested track garnered millions of streams before being removed from platforms like Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Music. Additionally, West and Griffin performed the song at recorded live concerts, with clips viewed millions of times online.
The estate is seeking maximum damages, totaling $150,000 for each instance of infringement, to protect Donna Summer’s musical legacy and her groundbreaking contributions to popular music.
Donna Summer, a five-time Grammy winner, passed away in 2012 at the age of 63. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the following year.
Representatives for Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have yet to respond to requests for comment from the Press Association.