Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign are facing yet another lawsuit, this time over the track “Vultures,” which appeared on their 2024 album of the same name. According to Billboard, the latest legal action was filed by Jaraed Deal and Marlon Barrow, who allege that a sample was used without their permission.
Deal and Barrow reportedly created the sample in 2018. However, they claim Ty Dolla $ign took it after hearing it during a phone call. The pair say this demonstrated “blatant disregard for their artistic contributions and legal rights.” Although the producers were eventually credited on the track, they remain unhappy because they never gave explicit permission for the sample to be used. They also claim they received no payment, and no licensing agreement was ever put in place.
“This action is not only about unpaid licensing fees and the lack of appropriate credit, but also about the essential right of any artist to determine when, how, and by whom their creative work is used,” the lawyers stated in the lawsuit.
Representatives for Ye and Ty Dolla $ign reportedly made a “buy-out settlement offer,” but Deal and Barrow declined to accept it.
“This action concerns the knowing, continuous, and blatant unauthorized use of the sampled works,” the lawyers continued. “It concerns protecting artistic integrity, enforcing intellectual property rights, and preventing commercial exploitation. […] “In addition to the significant financial harm and damages suffered, Plaintiffs have endured severe emotional distress, frustration, and a profound sense of exploitation stemming from the misappropriation of their creative work.”
So far, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign have not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
