Ye Hit With Lawsuit Over ‘Vultures 2’ Sample (Again)

Why It Matters

The case underscores growing legal risks for high‑profile artists and labels when sampling is not properly cleared, potentially reshaping royalty and clearance practices across the music industry.

Key Takeaways

• Swsh alleges unauthorized use of “Break the Fall” outro
• Lawsuit targets Ye, Ty Dolla $ign, YZY, and Label Engine
• “530” streamed over 50 million times on Spotify
• No licensing agreement reached despite demand letters
• Potential damages include lost royalties and control over composition

Pulse Analysis

The music business has long balanced artistic borrowing with legal clearance, and recent court decisions have tightened that equilibrium. In hip‑hop, where collage‑style production is a cultural hallmark, artists must secure rights for every vocal or instrumental fragment. Failure to do so can trigger multi‑million‑dollar claims, as courts increasingly treat unlicensed samples as infringement rather than fair use. This shift forces record labels, distributors, and streaming platforms to embed rigorous clearance workflows, lest they become co‑defendants in high‑profile lawsuits.

The latest filing against Ye, formerly Kanye West, illustrates how even superstar status does not shield artists from liability. Swsh, an alternative R&B act, alleges that the outro vocals from its 2018 track “Break the Fall” were looped throughout the first two minutes of Ye’s “530” on the Vultures 2 album. With more than 50 million Spotify streams, the song generates significant revenue, prompting the plaintiff to seek lost royalties and compensation for the unlicensed use. The complaint also names Ty Dolla $ign, Ye’s YZY imprint, and Label Engine, the digital distributor, expanding the potential exposure across the supply chain.

Industry observers warn that the Ye lawsuit could set a precedent for how streaming metrics influence damage calculations. As platforms report billions of plays, plaintiffs can argue that each stream represents a measurable loss, inflating potential awards. Labels are therefore incentivized to audit their catalogs and negotiate blanket sample clearances before release. For emerging artists, the case serves as a cautionary tale: securing proper licenses not only avoids litigation but also preserves revenue streams and artistic credibility in an increasingly litigious market.