Ye Defends 'Generous' Collaboration Style in 'Hurricane' Sample Trial
Ye, formerly Kanye West, testified in court, defending his approach to collaborations and addressing a lawsuit over an uncleared sample in an early version of his Grammy-winning hit, 'Hurricane'.
Ye (formerly Kanye West) took the stand in federal court on Wednesday (May 5) to defend his practices regarding sample clearances for his 2021 album, Donda, asserting that he is “very generous” when it comes to crediting collaborators.
The rapper is currently involved in an ongoing Los Angeles trial concerning an early iteration of his track “Hurricane.” The song reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later clinched a Grammy Award for best melodic rap performance, featuring The Weeknd and Lil Baby.
Four music producers – DJ Khalil (Khalil Abdul-Rahman), Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff, and Josh Mease – claim that Ye incorporated an uncleared sample of their instrumental piece “MSD PT2” in a demo version of “Hurricane”. This demo was played during a Donda pre-release listening party held at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in July 2021.
Ye argues that the lawsuit lacks merit because his team made diligent efforts to clear the sample. He contends that the four producers deliberately stalled and refused to agree to standard industry splits. The rapper reiterated this stance during his testimony.
“We went through the normal process to get it taken care of,” said Ye, dressed in a grey suit, regarding his team’s attempt to license “MSD PT2.”
Ye emphasized his collaborative nature as an artist, stating, “I pride myself on giving people what they deserve” in terms of credit and royalties. However, he also suggested that creators sometimes attempt to unfairly profit from him, and that this trial exemplifies such a situation.
“I feel like a lot of people try to take advantage of me,” Ye told the jury. “As I sit in this courtroom today, I just think people are trying to make more than they otherwise would because it’s me.”
This lawsuit is among more than a dozen copyright cases Ye has faced throughout his career, alleging the unauthorized use of samples and interpolations. This marks the first time he has taken such a lawsuit to trial; previously, he has settled many of them.
Ye’s testimony, lasting just over an hour, also touched on his successful music career and numerous accolades. “Music is everything,” he testified. “It surrounds me at all times, and I’m constantly creating new ideas for it.”
The rapper remained composed throughout his time on the stand. He even made a joke, when his attorney inquired about his Grammy win for “Brothers in Paris,” Ye responded, “What’s the real name?” prompting laughter from the courtroom gallery.
The case originated in 2024 when the four “MSD PT2” producers sued Ye through a business entity called Artist Revenue Advocates LLC. Initially, they sought royalties from the commercially successful final versions of both “Hurricane” and fellow Donda track “Moon,” alleging that both songs interpolated “MSD PT2.”
However, a judge dismissed the bulk of the lawsuit in February, determining that Artist Revenue Advocates only owns the “MSD PT2” master recording rights, not the composition rights. This means the company can sue over a sample, but not over an interpolation.
The judge allowed a trial to proceed only on the early “Hurricane” demo, which included a direct sample. Regarding damages, the plaintiffs are seeking a portion of the revenue Ye generated from his Atlanta listening party – including ticket sales, merchandise, and a $750,000 livestreaming deal with Apple Music.
Ye attempted to mitigate these potential damages during his testimony, arguing that his fans would have spent money on the listening party regardless of whether “Hurricane” was featured.
“People came to hear whatever I was going to play that was new,” Ye testified. “Often people buy merch before they even hear the music.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story inaccurately stated that “Moon” was at issue in this trial. The error has been corrected.
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