Rapper Ye Stole Artists’ Music for Two ‘Donda’ Tracks, Suit Says

Rapper and singer-songwriter Ye stole DJ Khalil’s and three other artists’ music for two tracks in his 2021 album “Donda,” according to a new federal lawsuit from a music royalty advocacy group.

The “blatant theft of musical property” occurred when Ye, previously known as Kanye West, used music composed and recorded by Khalil, Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff, and Josh Mease for the songs “Hurricane” and “Moon” after the artists denied permission for its use, according to the complaint filed by Artist Revenue Advocates LLC on Wednesday in the US District Court for the Central District of California. The complaint also named UMG Recordings Inc. and affiliates as defendants.

The behavior follows an “unfortunate pattern” of Ye’s infringement of other artists’ copyrights, like Ozzy Osbourne and Donna Summer, the complaint said.

The melody in question—created in 2018 but never published—"has a catchy hook with a smooth, urban vibe that’s both nostalgic and futuristic, creating a perfect musical canvas,” the filing said. The work was registered with the Copyright Office in earlier this year.

Ye credited the artists in his album, but never obtained the copyrights to use the music, according to the complaint. ARA added that the inclusion of the credits is “effectively an admission of copyright infringement.”

ARA said the songs have generated roughly $15 million in streaming revenues as of March. Ye performed the two songs at several “listening parties” before the album’s release, two of which took place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and generated $14 million in merchandise revenue, the filing said.

Khalil and the other artists attempted to collect their share of revenues from the music for three years before transfering their rights to ARA, which brought the lawsuit, according to the complaint. The advocacy group is also suing Yeezy Inc. for using the allegedly infringing music in collaborations with apparel companies Gap Inc. and Balenciaga for events promoting the album, ARA said.

UMG didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

Artist Revenue Advocates is represented by Baker and Hostetler LLP. Counsel for West and other defendants hasn’t yet entered an appearance.

The case is: Artist Revenue Advocates, LLC v. West et al, C.D. Cal., 2:24-cv-06018, complaint filed 7/17/24.