Kanye West is yet again finding himself in hot water over failing to get clearance of a sample he used on his new joint album with Ty Dolla $ign.
This time the estate of the late Donna Summer is calling foul after Ye was allegedly denied usage of her song “I Feel Love,” written by Summer and produced by Giorgio Moroder and Peter Bellotte. The embattled Chicago artist is accused of trying to sneakily rework the uncleared sample on his new song “Good (Don’t Die)” as to avoid any legalities.
“Kanye West asked permission to use Donna Summer song, ‘I Feel Love’ [but] he was denied,” read an Instagram post from the late singer’s estate. “He changed the words, had someone re-sing it, or used AI but it’s ‘I Feel Love’… copyright infringement!”
The Summer estate post also tagged Sharon Osbourne, a clear reference to the “Good Life” rapper being taken to task just a day earlier by rock star Ozzy Osbourne for the same issue. On Friday, Feb. 9, the Black Sabbath band leader took to X/Twitter to denounce West’s usage of his band’s song “Iron Man” after his clearance request was rejected.
“@KANYEWEST ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A SECTION OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “IRON MAN” FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS & WAS REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY,” Osbourne wrote. “HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM LISTENING PARTY LAST NIGHT. I WANT NO ASSOCIATION WITH THIS MAN.”
In response to Osbourne, West posted in his Instagram stories that he believes a “celebrity handler” might have been at the helm of Osbourne’s tweet and pointed out that while Osbourne claims he wants “no association” with him, it is ironic that the rocker and his wife both happily dressed as Ye and wife, Bianca Censori, this past Halloween.
The infringement accusations seem to be stacking up for West with this marking the third time a major artist has taken issue with West’s disregard for proper clearance channels. In addition to Summer and Osbourne, pop boy band the Backstreet Boys also claim that their song “Everybody (Backstreets’s Back)” was used without permission for the song “Everybody” on the new album.
Vultures 1 by Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign is available to stream on all major platforms.
