Kanye West sued by Donna Summer's estate over use of 'I Feel Love'

Ye, who legally changed his name from Kanye West in 2021, sparked outrage in 2022 with a series of anti-Semitic social-media posts. The rapper apologized for his remarks in December.

Ye and Griffin released "Vultures 1" on Feb. 10. It is currently the best-selling album in the U.S., according to Billboard.

Summer’s estate said that it rejected a request to allow Ye and Griffin to sample "I Feel Love" on Feb. 3. "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," the complaint said. "West is known as a controversial public figure whose conduct has led numerous brands and business partners to disassociate from him."

The lawsuit said that Ye and Griffin re-recorded the hook of "I Feel Love" with a different singer for their album despite the estate’s "absolute prohibition" against the use of Summer’s recording or a "soundalike."

The estate requested monetary damages and asked the court to permanently block Ye and Griffin from infringing Summer’s copyrights.