Donna Summer’s estate is the latest to slam Kanye West over an unauthorized sample on his new album. The heirs of Donna Summer called out Kanye West over a track that features lines with an identical melody to parts of Summer’s disco dance anthem, “I Feel Love.”
A statement shared by the official Donna Summer Instagram account read: “Kanye West asked permission to use Donna Summer’s song ‘I Feel Love,’ he was denied… he changed the words, had someone re-sing it or used AI, but it’s ‘I Feel Love’… copyright infringement!!!”
Summer passed away in 2012 at the age of 63 following a battle with lung cancer.
Ozzy Osbourne was the first to criticize Kanye on social media, claiming the rapper used a live recording of Black Sabbath’s song “Iron Man” without Osbourne’s permission and against his will.
“Kanye West asked permission to sample a section of a 1983 live performance of ‘Iron Man’ from the Us Festival without vocals & was refused permission because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many,” the singer wrote in capital letters on Twitter/X.
“He went ahead and used the sample anyway at his album listening party last night. I want no association with this man!”
Ozzy’s wife Sharon, whose father was Jewish, went on to explain to TMZ that her husband usually clears samples, but in the controversial rapper’s case, he had “special f###### occasion to say no” as he is a “disrespectful antisemite” who “represents hate.”
In late 2022, Kanye West made a series of antisemitic statements, including comments praising Adolf Hitler, that resulted in the termination of numerous commercial partnerships.
He later apologized for his behavior. The rapper ultimately released the song “Carnival” on his collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign, VULTURES1, without the sample, with a generic fuzzy synth bass riff replacing the Black Sabbath sample.