Lil Nas X, Cardi B named in ‘Rodeo’ infringement suit
US rapper Lil Nas X must fend off another copyright lawsuit, months after he was sued over alleged infringement in his song “Carry On”.
Lil Nas X and Cardi B are facing a copyright suit from two Atlanta-based music producers who claim the pair’s song “Rodeo” infringes one of their tracks.
In the latest complaint, filed on Friday, October 4 at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Don Lee and Glen DeMeritt claimed that “Rodeo” ripped off their “hip-original content”.
Lee and DeMeritt said that their track “gwenXdonlee4-142” was incorporated, with their consent, into “Broad Day” by Atlanta musicians PuertoReefa and Sakrite Duexe.
“Before the infringement at issue, this song was performed, published, and distributed widely, including without limitation in and around the Atlanta hip-hop scene,” the suit said.
Lee and DeMeritt claim that “Rodeo” is “substantially similar” to “Broad Day”. According to the plaintiffs, the songs share a number of elements including an E, F, G, F, E chord progression, as well as the rhythm of the chord changes.
Both tracks also “heavily emphasise triplet figures in the hi-hats,” the suit said.
“These and other similarities are readily apparent and cognizable to both trained and untrained listeners,” Lee and DeMeritt claimed.
In July, publisher The Music Force sued Lil Nas X for $25 million, claiming that the hit song “Carry On” infringed the copyright for an earlier song of the same name, written by Bobby Caldwell.
“Carry On” used elements of Caldwell’s song ““without licence or approval,” The Music Force claimed.
The Music Force is suing for $10 million in actual damages and $15 million in punitive damages.
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