Donna Summer's Estate Sues Kanye West Over Unauthorized Sample of Disco Queen's 'I Feel Love' on New 'Vultures' Album
Feb. 27 2024, Published 3:05 p.m. ET
Donna Summer's estate is suing Kanye West for using what it calls a "blatant rip-off" of the Disco Queen's iconic song I FEEL LOVE on his new Vultures album despite being denied permission to use the sample. In the lawsuit obtained by RadarOnline.com, Summer's estate accused West and his collaborator Ty Dolla $ign of "shamelessly" using "instantly recognizable portions" of her "ground-breaking" 1977 hit tune on the album Vultures 1 and at live listening parties without being authorized to do so.
Summer's estate "wanted no association" with Kanye West or his "controversial history."
The estate made it clear that it "wanted no association with West's controversial history and specifically rejected West's proposed use of Summer's 'I FEEL LOVE,'" seemingly referencing the rapper's shocking antisemitic comments, White Lives Matter controversy, and more.
Summer's estate didn't hold back on its feelings about West and Ty Dolla $ign using the sample anyway.
The estate claimed it denied Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign's last-minute request to use the sample.
"In the face of this rejection, Defendants arrogantly and unilaterally decided they would simply steal 'I FEEL LOVE' and use it without permission. In their song 'GOOD (DON'T DIE)," Defendants re-recorded almost verbatim the key, memorable portions of Summer's iconic song, used it as the hook for their own song, and released it to the public knowing they had tried and failed to secure legal permission from its rightful owners and had no legal right to do so."
Summer's estate claimed that the rappers' actions "constitute willful copyright infringement." It wants "compensatory damages, maximum statutory damages, attorneys' fees, and disgorgement of any profits" the pair earned from the alleged unauthorized use.
The estate said it is taking legal action against West and Ty Dolla $ign over the "blatant rip-off of 'I FEEL LOVE,'" but also for their "mere failure to pay the appropriate licensing fee for using another's musical property."
The Disco Queen died in 2012 after a battle with lung cancer.
Summer's estate is suing for copyright infringement and is demanding a jury trial. RadarOnline.com reached out to West and Ty Dolla $ign's teams for comment.
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Summer was big-time in the '70s, earning the nickname Queen of Disco with legendary songs like Last Dance, Hot Stuff, I FEEL LOVE, and more. Her hit tracks gained her 18 Grammy nominations and five wins.
The singer died in May 2012 at 63 years old after a battle with lung cancer. Summer was not a smoker and theorized that she got cancer by inhaling toxic smoke when terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers in NYC on September 11, 2001.
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