Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, is being sued for copyright infringement over a track on his album Donda.
In a filing in New York on Monday, Phase One Network – which manages the Boogie Down Productions catalogue – alleges that Ye “knowingly without a license, unlawfully copied from ‘South Bronx’ when creating the track ‘Life of the Party’” and distributed it via his Stemplayer.
According to the lawsuit, Ye sought permission to sample “South Bronx,” a 1986 single by KRS-One (aka Lawrence Parker) and DJ Scott La Rock (aka Scott Sterling), in July 2021 but the two sides could not come to an agreement. Phase One Network alleges that Ye sampled it anyway.
Phase One Network alleges that “Life of the Party” reproduces “horn hits,” “melodic figure” and a “drum fill” from “South Bronx.”
The lawsuit claims Phase One Network “suffered, and will continue to suffer, losses in an amount not yet ascertained” and said it is also entitled to profits.
The lawsuit also names Stemplayer CEO Alex Klein and developer Kano Computing Ltd. as defendants, as well as labels G.O.O.D. Music, Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group. None have responded to the lawsuit.