Updated
Updated · Pitchfork · Aug 4
Producer Sues Kanye West for $110,000 Over Unpaid AI Vocal Work on 2 Albums
Updated
Updated · Pitchfork · Aug 4

Producer Sues Kanye West for $110,000 Over Unpaid AI Vocal Work on 2 Albums

3 articles · Updated · Pitchfork · Aug 4

Summary

  • A producer sued Kanye West and his YZY label in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging he was never paid or credited for AI vocal programming used on Vultures 2 and Bully.
  • The complaint says he was brought onto Vultures 2 two days before release and created at least 13 custom AI voice models, more than 400 vocal generations and source material using his own voice.
  • His work allegedly appears on five Vultures 2 tracks, and he says he later contributed more AI vocal programming to Bully starting in October 2024.
  • The suit seeks at least $110,000 for breach of contract, unjust enrichment and violations of California unfair-competition and Los Angeles freelance-worker laws.
  • The filing adds legal weight to long-running rumors that Vultures 2 used AI and clashes with West's March claim that Bully used "no AI," even as he has previously said he uses the technology in songwriting and recording.

Insights

Could this $110,000 lawsuit finally expose how much of Kanye West's recent discography was secretly performed by an AI clone?
If a ghostwriter uses their own voice to train an AI superstar, who legally owns the rights to the final generated performance?