Donna Summer’s second husband, Bruce Sudano, has filed a lawsuit against Ye and Ty Dolla $ign for “unauthorized interpolation.”
Ye has found himself embroiled in another copyright dispute. Social media commentators had a field day when rock icon Ozzy Osbourne publicly denounced the rapper for using a sample from the Black Sabbath song “Iron Man” earlier in the month. Now, the Donna Summer estate is following suit regarding her 1977 proto-house single, “I Feel Love.”
On behalf of the estate, Summer’s second husband, Bruce Sudano, filed a complaint in a California federal court for “unauthorized interpolation” of the song into Ye (born Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign‘s track, “Good (Don’t Die)” on February 27. It names the two rappers as defendants, along with the companies Yeezy Record Label, LLC, Yzy Snd, and 10 Does.
According to the suit, Ye and company reached out to request permission to use the sample in January. Sudano allegedly denied the request early in February, including prohibiting the rappers from using a “soundalike” of the original “I Feel Love” recording.
“In considering Defendants’ request, the Summer Estate not only considered the immense commercial value of the ‘I FEEL LOVE’ composition, but also the potential degradation to Summer’s legacy,” reads a passage. “West is known as a controversial public figure whose conduct has led numerous brands and business partners to disassociate from him.”
Donna Summer, who died of lung cancer in 2012, was known as the “queen of disco” for hits such as “Love to Love You Baby” and “Last Dance.” She collaborated with Pete Bellotte and Giorgio Moroder on “I Feel Love,” and the latter producer’s stripped-down synth arpeggios have led critics to compare it to the house music that would evolve out of disco years later in the gay and Black communities of Chicago.
“Good (Don’t Die)” appeared on an album titled Vultures 1 released by Ye and Ty Dolla $ign on February 10. The single itself is no longer available on any streaming platforms.
