The Daily Beast
Scott Dudelson / Getty Images Kanye West has been ordered to pay a six-figure settlement after a jury ruled that he was liable for copyright infringement. The rapper, now legally known as Ye, used an uncleared sample while playing a demo version of his song “Hurricane” at a listening concert for his 2021 album, Donda . The song featured a snippet of a “MSD PT2,” a one-minute instrumental created by Khalil Abdul Rahman, Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff, and Josh Mease. The group of musicians filed the lawsuit after the version of “Hurricane” featuring the sample was played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia in July 2021. A Los Angeles federal jury ruled that West did infringe the copyright of “MSD PT2,″and that the rapper was personally liable for $176,153. The jury also awarded damages of $176,153, $41,625 and $44,627 against three of the rapper’s companies, amounting to a total verdict of $438,558. A spokesperson for West declared that the outcome was a “failed shakedown” as the plaintiffs were originally seeking $30 million in damages. The version of “Hurricane” with the “MSD PT2” sample did not end up on the final album version of Donda. Read it at Billboard Read more at The Daily Beast.
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