Ye Testifies in 'Hurricane' Copyright Trial, Claims People 'Try to Take Advantage'
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, appeared in court this week to defend himself against copyright claims regarding his Grammy-winning song 'Hurricane,' expressing frustration and claiming exploitation.
Kanye West (now known as Ye) appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday, visibly irritated during a copyright trial regarding his Grammy-winning track, "Hurricane."
When the plaintiff’s lawyer greeted Ye after a lunch break, the artist stared back silently. Asked about frequent changes to his legal and licensing teams in 2022 and 2023, Ye repeatedly responded with "I don’t recall" and "I don’t remember."
However, Ye seemed to relax when questioned by his own lawyer. He cited Michael Jackson as his initial inspiration for making music.
Ye described his creative process as iterative, drawing inspiration from various sources, including singing in the shower or receiving samples from other producers. He emphasized his commitment to refining his songs through countless versions.
"It’s hard, but it’s therapeutic, because I want to deliver the best product to the audience and to my fans,” he testified, dressed in a taupe suit. He arrived with multiple bodyguards.
Rolling Stone covered a portion of Ye’s testimony. Billboard reported that the rap star insisted his team followed the "normal process" to clear the “MSD PT2” sample used in an early version of “Hurricane,” played at his listening event at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 22, 2021. He denied stonewalling or unfairly compensating the musicians behind “MSD PT2,” asserting, “I pride myself on giving people what they deserve.”
According to Billboard, Ye told the jury, “I feel like a lot of people try to take advantage of me. As I sit in this courtroom today, I just think people are trying to make more than they otherwise would because it’s me.”
Ye is facing a lawsuit from Artist Revenue Advocates (ARA), representing the four composers of “MSD PT2”. The plaintiff’s lawyer claims Ye owes $564,046 for unlicensed use of the sample at the Atlanta stadium, calculated from ticket sales, merchandise, streaming revenue, and profits from a Yeezy Gap jacket worn on stage.
The musicians – Khalil Abdul-Rahman, Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff, and Josh Mease – transferred their copyrights to ARA to seek justice. The lawsuit initially targeted both the sampled sound recording and the underlying composition. However, the judge dismissed the composition claims, citing prior contracts assigning away royalty rights.
ARA manager Britton Monts testified that the company was formed to help working musicians enforce their rights. Ye’s lawyer, Eduardo Martorell, suggested ARA was being secretly financed. He also noted that the musicians received songwriting credit on the final version of “Hurricane,” with a combined royalty share of around 30 percent.
Seeff testified that he received only “some small payments” despite the song’s success. He also stated that composers of instrumental music typically receive 50 percent of a song’s publishing.
The trial continues Thursday.
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