Kanye West Sued Over “Blatant Theft” Of Eminem & Kendrick Lamar Collaborator’s Work

Artist Revenue Advocates sued Kanye West for copyright infringement on behalf of producer DJ Khalil and others on Wednesday (July 17). According to court documents reviewed by AllHipHop, Ye was accused of using DJ Khalil and three musicians’ work without permission and payment. DJ Khalil created a track with keyboardist Sam Barsh, bassist Dan Seeff and multi-instrumentalist Josh Mease in 2018. The unpublished music was included in a “composer pack” made available to potential buyers. Kanye used the track for his songs “Hurricane” and “Moon,” which appeared on the 2021 album Donda. “The West Defendants did, at various times, seek the Artists’ permission to include the Work in ‘Hurricane’,” the lawsuit revealed. “No permission was granted.” Artist Revenue Advocates accused Kanye of “blatant theft.” They argued he admitted to infringement by crediting DJ Khalil, Barsh, Seef and Mease on Donda. DJ Khalil, a Hip-Hop veteran who has produced songs for Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, received production credits for “Hurricane” and “Moon.” “In an act of blatant brazenness, Defendants even credited the Artists as songwriters and producers on both ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Moon,’” the lawsuit noted. “Of course, given that Defendants knew they did not have permission to use the Work. The...