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Arts and Entertainment

Kanye Sued By Soul Singer For Stealing Key Sample For 'Bound 2'

By  Matthew Bramlett
Published Dec 25, 2013 11:00 PM
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A note to all aspiring artists looking to use samples in their songs: make sure the original artists in the songs you're sampling aren't willing to sue the pants off of you.

Kanye West's song "Bound 2," the one that has a video that features Kim Kardashian flopping all over Kanye's motorcycle like a fish with boobs, is in turmoil. One member of the Ponderosa Twins Plus One—whose 70s hit 'Bound' was heavily sampled by Yeezy—is suing, claiming that the rapper or his handlers didn't ask for permission to sample his voice.

Rick Spicer, considered to be the heart and soul of the group, offers a simple ultimatum: compensate him for the song's popularity or cease and desist. Spicer is also suing the production companies behind the song, including Rock-A-Fella, Island Def-Jam, and Universal Music Group, according to Spin.

But maybe Kanye thought he did get the rights. TV Guide is claiming that West thought the song was trademarked through All Platinum Records, which distributed the original song back in the 70s. But according to the Cleveland Challenger, the rights really belong to the band's former manager and self-proclaimed "world's greatest bail bondsman," Chuck Brown Sr. Interestingly, Brown has claimed that he wasn't at all angry that West left out the Ponderosa Twins Plus One in the credits:

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Brown said he isn't also looking for a fight because U.S. copyright laws are relatively straightforward. He hopes West sells a billion copies of his new hit CD while ownership and rights are being verified. "I'm actually honored. We recorded that song in 1971 and thought it was hit. We just didn't know it would take 43 years for the world to figure it out," Brown, 72, told the Cleveland Challenger during an exclusive interview.

If the allegations are true, it would prove to be an egregious fuck-up for Kanye, who basically has Spicer's pre-teen wails peppered throughout the song, and his handlers, who really should have double checked in regards to the rights. But it's a little strange when the original owner of the song's rights isn't breaking a hip over it.

Related:
Kanye's New Video Looks Really Fake But Kim Is Really Topless In It

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