The estate recently charged West with “copyright infringement.”
Unauthorized Sample Sparks Dispute
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s track ‘Good (Don’t Die)’ from their recent collaborative album ‘Vultures 1’ has been removed from Spotify following a complaint from the estate of late singer Donna Summer.
The dispute arose over an unauthorized sample of Summer’s 1977 classic ‘I Feel Love’, which was allegedly used without permission.
Allegations of Copyright Infringement
Summer’s estate claimed that Kanye West had sought permission to use the sample but was denied.
Despite this, they asserted that West went ahead and either altered the sample, had it re-recorded, or used AI technology to include it in the track. Summer’s estate maintained that this action constituted copyright infringement.
Song Removed from Spotify
Following the complaint, Spotify reportedly removed ‘Good (Don’t Die)’ from its platform on Wednesday, February 14. However, the song remains available on other digital music services such as Apple Music and YouTube.
Previous Sample Disputes
This is not the first instance of sample-related controversy surrounding ‘Vultures 1’. In December, it was revealed that West used a Backstreet Boys sample on a track titled ‘Everybody’, which was not cleared for use and did not make it onto the album.
Ozzy Osbourne’s Criticism
Additionally, Ozzy Osbourne criticized Kanye West over the unauthorized use of a Black Sabbath sample on the song ‘Carnival’. Osbourne referred to West as “an antisemite” and expressed disdain for his actions, leading to the Osbourne family sending a cease and desist letter to West.
Response from Kanye West
In response to Ozzy Osbourne’s criticism, Kanye West claimed that the comments may not have originated from Osbourne himself. The disputed sample was subsequently replaced with a legally-cleared sample of West’s own song ‘Hell Of A Life’.