Kanye West Says He’s Being Targeted in Ongoing “Donda” Copyright Trial

Kanye West took the stand this week in his ongoing copyright trial, and according to Ye, the issue isn’t sampling. It’s people seeing an opportunity.

The lawsuit centers around an early version of “Hurricane,” the Grammy-winning track from Donda, after four producers accused Kanye of using an uncleared sample from their song “MSD PT2” during a 2021 listening event in Atlanta.

But Ye says his team handled things the right way.

During testimony, the rapper told the court they followed the “normal process” to clear the sample and claimed the producers intentionally stalled negotiations over splits and payments. He also made it clear he believes his celebrity status plays a role in why the case even made it this far.

“A lot of people try to take advantage of me,” Ye told the jury.

And honestly, that line alone feels bigger than the lawsuit.

Because at this point, Kanye’s relationship with sampling, collaboration, and ownership has become part of his legacy almost as much as the music itself. Few artists have built records the way Ye has, pulling pieces from everywhere, blending sounds, reshaping records into something completely different. But that same process has also kept him tied up in courtrooms for years.

Still, this case is a little different.

Unlike previous copyright lawsuits that quietly ended in settlements, Kanye actually took this one to trial. And even with the legal back-and-forth, he stayed locked into the bigger picture while testifying, calling music “everything” and describing himself as someone constantly creating.

The wild part? The lawsuit now only applies to an early demo version of “Hurricane”, not even the final song fans made a hit. But because it’s Kanye, even the demo made it to court.