{"id":10606,"date":"2026-05-07T11:35:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T11:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/kanye-west-testifies-at-donda-music-copyright-trial\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:35:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T11:35:58","slug":"kanye-west-testifies-at-donda-music-copyright-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/kanye-west-testifies-at-donda-music-copyright-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"Kanye West Testifies at \u2018Donda\u2019 Music Copyright Trial"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\tYe (formerly Kanye West) testified in federal court on Wednesday (May 5) that he followed the right steps to clear a sample for his chart-topping 2021 album Donda<\/em> and is \u201cvery generous\u201d with giving credit to collaborators.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe rapper took the stand in an ongoing Los Angeles trial over an early version of his song \u201cHurricane,\u201d which charted at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released on Donda<\/em> in 2021. The song, which featured The Weeknd and Lil Baby, also went on to win a Grammy Award for best melodic rap performance.<\/p>\n

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\n\tFour music producers \u2014 DJ Khalil<\/strong> (Khalil Abdul-Rahman), Sam Barsh<\/strong>, Dan Seeff<\/strong> and Josh Mease<\/strong> \u2014 are alleging that Ye included an uncleared sample of their instrumental track \u201cMSD PT2\u201d in a \u201cHurricane\u201d demo played at a Donda <\/em>pre-release listening party in Atlanta\u2019s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in July 2021.<\/p>\n

\n\tYe maintains that the lawsuit is baseless because his team did make an earnest effort to clear the sample but that the four producers intentionally dragged their feet and refused to approve industry-standard splits. The rapper reiterated this position during his courtroom testimony on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe went through the normal process to get it taken care of,\u201d said Ye, clad in a grey suit, about his team\u2019s attempt to license \u201cMSD PT2.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tYe testified that he\u2019s a highly collaborative artist, saying \u201cI pride myself on giving people what they deserve\u201d in terms of credit and royalties. But he said creators sometimes try to extract undue money from him, and this trial is one such example. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\t\u201cI feel like a lot of people try to take advantage of me,\u201d Ye told the jury. \u201cAs I sit in this courtroom today, I just think people are trying to make more than they otherwise would because it\u2019s me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe lawsuit is one among more than a dozen copyright cases<\/a> Ye has faced throughout his career for allegedly using unlicensed samples and interpolations in his music. It\u2019s the first time he\u2019s taken one of these lawsuits to trial; in the past, he\u2019s settled many of them.<\/p>\n

\n\tYe\u2019s testimony, which lasted just over an hour, also touched on his successful music career and collection of accolades. \u201cMusic is everything,\u201d he testified. \u201cIt surrounds me at all times, and I\u2019m constantly creating new ideas for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe rapper remained calm and expressionless for most of his time on the stand. He did crack one joke, though. When his attorney asked whether he won a Grammy for \u201cBrothers in Paris,\u201d Ye responded, \u201cWhat\u2019s the real name?\u201d and joined in on a chorus of laughter from the courtroom gallery.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe case dates back to 2024, when the four \u201cMSD PT2\u201d producers sued Ye through a business entity called Artist Revenue Advocates LLC. Initially, they were seeking royalties from the commercially successful final versions of both \u201cHurricane\u201d and fellow Donda <\/em>track \u201cMoon,\u201d alleging that both songs interpolated \u201cMSD PT2.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHowever, a judge dismissed the bulk of the lawsuit in February after determining that Artist Revenue Advocates owns only the \u201cMSD PT2\u201d master recording rights, not the composition rights. This means that while the company can sue over a sample<\/em>, it does not have any standing to bring claims over an interpolation<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe judge therefore allowed a narrow trial to go forward only on the early \u201cHurricane\u201d demo, which did include a direct sample, but not the far more lucrative final songs. Damages-wise, the plaintiffs are now seeking a slice of the money Ye made his Atlanta listening party \u2014 encompassing ticket sales, merch and a $750,000 livestreaming deal with Apple Music. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tYe tried to undercut these potential damages during his testimony on Wednesday, telling jurors that his fans would have spent money on this listening party regardless of whether \u201cHurricane\u201d was featured.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cPeople came to hear whatever I was going to play that was new,\u201d Ye testified. \u201cOften people buy merch before they even hear the music.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCorrection: An earlier version of this story<\/em> inaccurately stated that \u201cMoon\u201d was at issue in this trial. The error has been corrected. <\/em><\/p>\n


\"Billboard
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