Legal troubles continue to mount for controversial artist Kanye West as a new copyright infringement lawsuit was filed on September 4, 2025, targeting his use of an allegedly unauthorized sample in the track “LORD LIFT ME UP.”
The lawsuit, brought by GRC Trust on behalf of Ginn Music Group, claims West sampled the 1975 soul song “Just Out of My Reach” by Sam Dees without permission or proper licensing.
The legal action names multiple defendants alongside West, including his company Yeezy LLC, featured artist Vory (whose legal name is Tavoris Javon Hollins), and tech firm Kano Computing along with its CEO Alex Klein.
Kano’s inclusion stems from their role in creating the Stem Player, which served as the exclusive distribution platform for West’s eleventh studio album “Donda 2” at the time of its release.
According to court documents, the alleged infringement centers on the first few seconds of Dees’ original soul track, which West reportedly looped throughout the 2:10 minute song.
GRC Trust describes the sampling as “blatant” and “integral” to the composition of “LORD LIFT ME UP,” arguing that the defendants continue to profit from unauthorized exploitation of protected material.
The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to halt further distribution of the track, disgorgement of all profits earned through the alleged infringement, and additional damages for losses incurred.
This case highlights the ongoing tension between artistic sampling practices and copyright enforcement in the music industry.
Critics note that proper audio extraction and processing techniques could have helped West’s team create a more transformative work that might have avoided legal scrutiny.
This lawsuit adds to West’s history of sampling-related legal disputes throughout his career.
The “Donda 2” album has already faced multiple copyright challenges related to various tracks, underscoring the complex legal landscape surrounding sample clearance in hip-hop production.
The case also raises questions about technological platforms’ liability in copyright disputes, as Kano Computing faces potential consequences for its role in distributing allegedly infringing content through its innovative Stem Player device, which allowed listeners exclusive access to West’s controversial album.
The timing of this lawsuit is notable as it comes just before the release of West’s documentary In Whose Name?, which chronicles his personal and professional controversies from 2018 to 2024.
Music industry experts point out that proper registration with performance rights organizations could have prevented this dispute by ensuring appropriate royalty collection and distribution for the sampled work.
GRC Trust seeks to recover both earnings from the infringement and prevent further exploitation of the protected material through this litigation.
