Childish Gambino Sued for Copyright Infringement Over "This Is America"
The lawsuit also named the likes of co-writer Young Thug, producer Lüdwig Goransson and Roc Nation as defendants.
Rapper Kidd Wes is suing Childish Gambino over his GRAMMY-winning track, “This Is America.”
According to reports, Wes — real name Emelike Wesley Nwosuocha — alleged that the 2018 song infringes on the copyright of his own similarly-titled cut “Made in America.” The track was supposedly first uploaded on SoundCloud in 2016 before appearing on his 2017 album Eleven: The Junior Senior Year, which received a copyright in May of that year. Legal documents revealed that Wes and his attorneys are claiming that “the substantial similarities between both songs include, but are not limited to, nearly-identical unique rhythmic, lyrical, and thematic compositional and performance content contained in the chorus—or ‘hook’—sections that are the centerpieces of both songs.” They are seeking damages from profit in a minimum of 43 categories such as record sales, ringtones, ringback tones, endorsements and increased goodwill.
In addition to naming Donald Glover as a defendant, the lawsuit is also accusing co-writer Young Thug, producer Lüdwig Goransson and record labels Kobalt Music, RCA Records, Sony Music Entertainment, Young Stoner Life Publishing LLC, 300 Entertainment, Atlantic Records, Warner Music Group, Roc Nation, Universal Music Publishing Group and Warner Chappell Music.
Wes’ lawyers Imran H. Ansari and La’Shawn N. Thomas released this statement to Pitchfork: “The similarities between the two pieces of music are beyond coincidental, and amounts to infringement, as alleged in the complaint filed by our client, Emelike Nwosuocha, professionally known as Kidd Wes. Mr. Nwosuocha is confident in his claims, and simply seeks the credit and compensation he deserves for the unauthorized use of his music.”
Elsewhere in music, take a listen to J. Cole’s first The Off-Season single, “Interlude.”
