Producer sues Kanye over alleged AI use

Kanye West, now known as Ye, is facing a new lawsuit from a freelance producer who says he was brought in to help finish *Vultures 2* and later worked on *Bully* using artificial-intelligence vocal tools, then was not paid or credited. Paste reported the case on August 6, citing earlier reporting by Rolling Stone on a complaint filed in Los Angeles by a plaintiff identified as John Doe. (ca.rollingstone.com) The suit alleges breach of contract and labor-related violations and says the producer’s work was reproduced through AI on tracks tied to both albums. (effinghamradio.com) The complaint, as described by those reports, puts two issues together: whether West’s camp failed to pay a freelance producer, and whether AI-generated vocals built from that producer’s work ended up in released music. (pastemagazine.com) West had not publicly responded as of the reports cited by Paste and other outlets. ### Who is suing, and where was the case filed? Los Angeles Superior Court is where the complaint was filed, according to multiple reports describing the suit. The plaintiff is identified only as John Doe, an unnamed freelance producer. Rolling Stone, as cited by Paste and others, said the producer sued anonymously in Los Angeles and accused West of refusing to compensate him for work connected to *Vultures 2* and *Bully*. (pastemagazine.com) The producer is not described in public coverage as a longtime West collaborator. The reports instead say he was hired on what the complaint called an “emergency basis” shortly before *Vultures 2* was released. (ca.rollingstone.com) ### What work does the producer say he actually did? The complaint says the producer was brought in two days before the 2024 release of *Vultures 2* to help complete the album under a tight deadline. Reports on the filing say he created AI-generated vocal material for several tracks and later returned to do additional AI vocal programming for *Bully*, beginning in October 2024. (ca.rollingstone.com) At least 13 custom AI voice models and more than 400 individual vocal generations are at the center of the complaint, according to summaries of the court allegations. The producer also says he used his own voice as source material and that his work appeared on five tracks. (ca.rollingstone.com) ### What is the lawsuit alleging beyond AI use? At least $220,000 is the amount several outlets said the producer is seeking. The claims described in coverage include breach of contract, unjust enrichment, California unfair-competition allegations and claims tied to freelance-worker protections, along with allegations that he was never properly credited on streaming services. (effinghamradio.com) YZY, identified in some reports as West’s label or business entity, is also named in descriptions of the dispute over credits and payment. The complaint, as summarized in coverage, says the defendants used the producer’s work while failing to compensate him after repeated demands. (effinghamradio.com) ### Why are *Vultures 2* and *Bully* central to the case? *Vultures 2* is where the complaint says the relationship began, with the producer allegedly hired just before release to solve a last-minute production problem. *Bully* matters because the producer says the AI vocal work continued after that first assignment and extended into West’s later solo project. (msn.com) Paste said the lawsuit goes further than a standard unpaid-work complaint by asserting that the albums themselves were made using AI-assisted reproductions of the producer’s contributions. That allegation has not been tested in court, but it is the claim that made the filing notable in music-industry coverage on August 6. (musicianvoice.com) ### What happens next? August 4 and August 6 are the key public dates so far: Rolling Stone reported on the lawsuit on August 4, and Paste followed on August 6. The next concrete step is likely to be a response from West or his representatives, or a court filing in Los Angeles Superior Court addressing the producer’s claims. (ca.rollingstone.com) (pastemagazine.com)