Story at a glance
- Childish Gambino is being sued for copyright infringement regarding his 2018 hit “This Is America.”
- Rapper Kidd Wes alleges the song is “unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical” to his 2016 track “Made In America.”
- ”This Is America” won two Grammys in 2019 for best song and best record.
Childish Gambino has been sued for alleged copyright infringement over his Grammy-winning song “This Is America.”
Rapper Kidd Wes alleges that Donald Glover, whose musical persona is Childish Gambino, crafted his 2018 track “This Is America” in an “unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical” fashion to Kidd Wes’s 2016 track “Made In America.”
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The federal court documents state there is “nearly-identical unique rhythmic, lyrical, and thematic compositional and performance content contained in the chorus – or ‘hook’ – sections that are the centerpieces of both songs.”
Kidd Wes also hired a musicologist who stated “similarities in melodic contour, rhythmic triplet flow in each performance, and the lines Made in America and This is America are ‘likely not coincidences.’”
Other defendants listed include the record labels RCA, Roc Nation and rapper Young Thug.
“This Is America,” which won Grammys for best song and best record, is mixed with church hymns, hip hop beats and sweeping social commentary on being Black in America, as well as gun violence, garnering high prasies.
Kidd Wes is seeking damages for record sales, ringtones, endorsements and 40 other categories.
Glover has not issued a comment at this time.
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