Ye took his fight to the samples used on his Donda album in a Los Angeles court – and told jurors he’s scared because of who he is.
Former rapper Kanye West testified Wednesday in federal court that he followed a “standard process” to delete the controversial sample from the first hits “Hurricane” and “Moon,” both of which were included on his 2021 album.
“We went the usual way to get it taken care of,” said Ye, who appeared in court wearing a gray suit.
The lawsuit centers on a lawsuit from four music producers — DJ Khalil, Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff and Josh Mease — who claim Ye used parts of their instrumental track “MSD PT2” in demos played during Donda’s big listening event at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in July 2021.
That event turned into a pop-culture spectacle, drawing fans from all over the country as Ye previewed unfinished tracks ahead of the album’s release. The final versions of “Hurricane” and “Moon” later reached the Billboard Hot 100’s top 20’s, “Hurricane” – featuring The Weeknd and Lil Baby – won a Grammy for best rap performance.
Ye insisted that his team had made a formal attempt to license the sample, but said that the producers had stopped the negotiations and refused the general classification of the king.
“I’m proud to give people what they deserve” in terms of credits and awards, Ye testified, adding that some people try to squeeze more money out of his celebrity status.
“I feel like a lot of people are trying to help me,” Ye told the judge, according to Billboard. “As I sit in this court today, I think that people are trying to do more than they could because it’s me.”
The case is one of more than a dozen patent battles that Ye has faced over allegedly unspecified samples during his career. But unlike previous cases, which often ended in settlements, this one went to trial.
A judge has already decided the majority of the case earlier this year, ruling that the plaintiffs own the rights to the master recording of “MSD PT2” – not a derivative work. That brought the situation down to the original Donda demos played at the Atlanta listening party, not the final album tracks that generated millions.
The producers are now seeking damages related to the listening event itself, including ticket sales, sales revenue and a reported $750,000 live streaming deal with Apple Music.
You rejected those requests from the witness stand.
“People would come to hear anything new I would play,” Ye testified. “People usually buy merchandise before they hear the music.”
