Kanye West accused of sampling Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” without permission

 

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Kanye West is facing legal trouble for allegedly using a sample of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” in one of his songs without proper clearance. The estate of the late disco icon, who passed away in 2012, made the accusation in an Instagram Story post on Saturday (February 10).

The post, which was shared by Summer’s official account, featured a screenshot of West’s song “Feel Love” from his 2023 album “Donda 2”, along with a caption that read: “Did you know that this song contains a sample of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’? Neither did we. Kanye West did not ask for permission to use it, nor did he pay any royalties. This is a clear case of infringement and we will take legal action.”

“I Feel Love” is a 1977 disco classic that was co-written by Summer, producer Giorgio Moroder, and Peter Bellotte. The song is widely regarded as one of the most influential tracks in electronic music history, and has been sampled by numerous artists, such as Madonna, Sam Smith, and Beyoncé.

West, who is known for his controversial and outspoken behavior, has not responded to the allegation yet. The rapper has previously faced lawsuits for sampling other artists’ songs without authorization, such as “Bound 2” (which sampled The Ponderosa Twins Plus One’s “Bound”), “Gold Digger” (which sampled Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman”), and “Stronger” (which sampled Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”).

This is not the first time that West has been involved in a dispute with the estate of a legendary musician. In 2018, he was sued by the estate of Prince for using an unauthorized image of the late singer on the cover of his album “Ye”. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.