A federal jury has ruled that Hurricane included an uncleared sample. Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) is now responsible for a six-figure financial judgment tied to one of his most closely watched releases. Reporting from Rolling Stone indicates that the decision was delivered Tuesday afternoon. The jury found that Ye and multiple affiliated companies violated copyright protections connected to a demo used in an early version of the track. This demo was first previewed at the Donda listening event.
The court ordered total damages exceeding $400,000. Ye himself was assigned $176,153 in liability, with Yeezy LLC required to match that amount. Two additional entities tied to his business operations were also held responsible. Yeezy Supply was ordered to pay $41,625, and Mascotte Holdings was assessed $44,627. This spread the financial impact across his brand infrastructure.
The case was filed by Artists Revenue Advocates on behalf of four musicians who contributed to the disputed material. Britton Monts, a manager with the organization, said the outcome reflected a rare moment of accountability for lesser-known creators working against industry power. “the underdogs got their day in court,” she said, adding that independent artists often lack the leverage needed to challenge high-profile figures in complex copyright disputes.
‘Hurricane’ Lawsuit Ends in Credit Shift and Ye Victory
At the center of the lawsuit was a one-minute instrumental titled “MSD PT2,” which attorneys for the plaintiffs described as the “backbone” of Hurricane. The track later appeared in a finished form featuring The Weeknd and Lil Baby. However, questions over the original sample persisted throughout the legal proceedings.
Ye’s attorney, Eduardo Martorell, noted that the musicians were ultimately credited as songwriters after the sample was removed. They were registered for a combined 30 percent share of composition royalties during litigation. A spokesperson for Ye framed the verdict as a win for the artist, dismissing the claims. “This is a failed shakedown. Six months ago, they wanted $30 million out of Ye,” the representative said. “The moral of the story? There is a cost attached to thinking you can take advantage of Ye.”
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