Overview
- Ye, who took the stand Wednesday in Los Angeles, told jurors he and his team followed the normal process to clear the MSD PT2 sample used in an early 'Hurricane' demo played at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22, 2021.
- The four musicians, suing through Artist Revenue Advocates, say the sample was unlicensed and seek $564,046 drawn from ticket sales, merchandise, an Apple Music streaming deal, and sales of the jacket Ye wore on stage.
- A February court ruling threw out most composition claims after the judge found the musicians had assigned those rights, narrowing the trial to the one-time use of the master recording at the listening event.
- Ye’s lawyer said the musicians later received songwriting credit on the released track and a combined 30 percent of composition royalties, arguing that shows they were treated fairly.
- The dispute highlights how sample clearance, prior rights assignments, and large listening events can influence who gets paid from tickets, merch drops, and streaming partnerships.