The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar are getting sued by Yeasayer

Image: Pitchfork

Just read this Pitchfork post that now-defunct Brooklyn-based band Yeasayer is suing the Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar for what seems to be one tremolo-like vocalization. Am I missing something here?

Yeasayer have sued Kendrick Lamar and the Weeknd over the Black Panther soundtrack single “Pray For Me,” TMZ reports and documents viewed by Pitchfork confirm. The band claims in the lawsuit that “Pray For Me” infringes on their All Hour Cymbals song “Sunrise.”

The band claims that “Pray For Me” features a “distinctive choral performance” from “Sunrise”—“male voices singing in their highest registers, with animated, pulsing vibrato.” Yeasayer are seeking profits from “Pray For Me” and damages. Find the full lawsuit below. Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for Kendrick, the Weeknd, and Yeasayer. – Pitchfork.com

I’ve pulled out the vocal sound that I think this lawsuit is about.

Here are the full songs:

The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar – “Pray For Me” (2018)

The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar - Pray For Me (Official Lyric Video)

Yeasayer – “Sunrise” (2007)

Here is the court filing:

See Also:

Did the Weeknd rip off this song for “A Lonely Night”?

 

Justin Bieber vs. Asher Monroe

Justin Bieber ripped off Asher Monroe

UPDATE: 2/24/2020 Check out this post where it is revealed both artists used the same royalty-free track!

Justin Bieber used a royalty-free sample on his new album (and so did Asher Monroe)

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It’s sometimes baffling how an artist as big as Justin Bieber could release a track that has such striking similarities to another popular artist. Shortly after Bieber released his latest album “Changes” folks on twitter noticed the similarity between Bieber’s “Running Over” and Asher Monroe‘s 2019 track “Synergy”. There doesn’t seem to be much question here. The question I have is how can something as blatant as this happen?

Here are clips of both tracks if you want to flip back and forth:

 

Monroe responded on his Instagram as well:

 

Don’t forget that there are entire teams of writers and producers behind most big pop artists these days. So these guys should be on the hook as well:

“Justin Bieber – Running Over (feat. Lil Dicky)”
Writers
Justin Bieber
David Burd
Robin Weisse
J. Boyd
Dominic Jordan
Jimmy Giannos
Joshua Mbewe

Producers
Poo Bear
The Audibles
Laxcity

See also:

Justin Bieber Sued for “Sorry”

Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran vs. Elvis Presley

Justin Bieber vs. September

 

Ariana Grande sued for “7 Rings”

When I first heard Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” (2019) I couldn’t believe that the intro vocal melody was directly pulled from  the 1959 song “My Favorite Things” from the musical “The Sound of Music”. Turns out original composers Rodgers and Hammerstein were in fact credited on Grande’s track.

But it seems like Grande’s chorus hook is what’s really in question. Josh Stone recorded a track called “You Need It I Got It” in (2017?). He has since sued Grande.

In a lawsuit filed in a New York federal court on Thursday, an artist called Josh Stone, aka DOT, claims that he shopped his own song You Need It, I Got It around in 2017.

One of the execs he claims to have played the song to was producer and Ariana Grande collaborator Tommy Brown.

Stone alleges that the hook in 7 Rings, which is: I want it, I got it, I want it, I got it, was copied from the hook in his song, which goes: You need it, I got it. You want it, I got it.

The lawsuit, which names Universal Music Corp and several others claims that “literally, every single one of the 39 respective notes of 7 Rings is identical with the 39 notes of I Got It from a metrical placement perspective”.

The lawsuit filed against Ariana Grande last week follows various other high profile copyright infringement lawsuits in the music industry in recent months. -Music Business Worldwide

 

on Youtube:

Josh Stone – “You Need It I Go it”(2017)

IAMJOSHSTONE - "You Need it You Got It" (Official Music Video)

Ariana Grande – “7 Rings” (2019)

Ariana Grande - 7 rings (Official Video)

“My Favorite Things” (1959)

My Favorite Things - Julie Andrews

See Also

Soulja Boy vs. Ariana Grande

Battle of the Saxes (Ariana Grande vs. Jason Derulo vs. Macklemore vs. Wild Sugar)