Alice Merton sues Kanye West for copyright infringement over sample use

Alice Merton has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Kanye West, alleging that the rapper sampled her 2022 song “Blindside” without permission.

In the suit, obtained by ABC News, the “No Roots” singer says she learned that West, now known as Ye, had sampled “Blindside” on his song “Gun to My Head” when he played it during a December 2023 listening event for his Vultures project. An email seeking approval to sample “Blindside” was sent in February 2024, which Merton denied in a March 2024 response.

While Merton initially didn’t give a reason for denying the request, when pressed for one in a follow-up email, she said, “The artist’s values are contrary to our values.”

“Of significant concern to Plaintiff Merton, were Defendant YE’s [anti-Semitic], racist remarks which were made publicly and continue to be made publicly as recently as February 10, 2024,” the suit reads. “Merton is a German resident who has close ties to the holocaust through Jewish family members who survived its horrors, and as such feels closely connected to it.”

The suit adds that Merton felt “shocked and humiliated” by the association to Ye when the sample use was reported.

While it was later added to a digital deluxe version of the album, “Gun to My Head” wasn’t included on Vultures when it was officially released. The suit claims that fans who knew about the song from the earlier listening party were “outraged” it was left off, and “began contacting [Merton] directly” with death threats and abuse.

“YE’s fans were relentless, making threats to Merton should she not clear the sample,” the suit continues. “Following these threats, Merton feared returning to America for further tour dates. She also stopped performing [‘Blindside’] at concerts for fear of confrontation or potential violence against her.”

Alice Merton has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Kanye West, alleging that the rapper sampled her 2022 song “Blindside” without permission.

In the suit, obtained by ABC News, the “No Roots” singer says she learned that West, now known as Ye, had sampled “Blindside” on his song “Gun to My Head” when he played it during a December 2023 listening event for his Vultures project. An email seeking approval to sample “Blindside” was sent in February 2024, which Merton denied in a March 2024 response.

While Merton initially didn’t give a reason for denying the request, when pressed for one in a follow-up email, she said, “The artist’s values are contrary to our values.”

“Of significant concern to Plaintiff Merton, were Defendant YE’s [anti-Semitic], racist remarks which were made publicly and continue to be made publicly as recently as February 10, 2024,” the suit reads. “Merton is a German resident who has close ties to the holocaust through Jewish family members who survived its horrors, and as such feels closely connected to it.”

The suit adds that Merton felt “shocked and humiliated” by the association to Ye when the sample use was reported.

While it was later added to a digital deluxe version of the album, “Gun to My Head” wasn’t included on Vultures when it was officially released. The suit claims that fans who knew about the song from the earlier listening party were “outraged” it was left off, and “began contacting [Merton] directly” with death threats and abuse.

“YE’s fans were relentless, making threats to Merton should she not clear the sample,” the suit continues. “Following these threats, Merton feared returning to America for further tour dates. She also stopped performing [‘Blindside’] at concerts for fear of confrontation or potential violence against her.”