Kendrick Lamar Being Sued Over Bill Withers Sample In Free Mixtape, Will This Affect Producers?

Reported by Billboard,  Kendrick Lamar and Top Dawg Ent. are being sued by Mattie Music Group for copyright infringement.  The song “Don’t Want You To Stay” by Bill Withers was used in the Compton rapper’s “I Do This” off the 2013 “Kendrick Lamar EP”, a free mixtape which brings attention to the hundreds of producers, and artists who use samples to produce their records.  With more and more producers using technology to enhance and slightly change their music, you can still end up with a lawsuit even if the music is free, and no profit is being made.

The musical composition “I Do This” consists of nothing more than new, so-called Rap or Hip Hop lyrics, set to the existing music of “Don’t Want You To Stay,” – Mattie Music Group

Below are the comparisons of both songs, “I Do This” by Kendrick and “Don’t Want You To Stay” by Bill Withers.  You be the judge, if the lawsuit will stand in court?  In our opinion, we think lawsuits like this will be in the mind’s of many producers in the years to come.  Will producers have a chance to still dig for some records to find dope samples without being afraid of legalities?  Who knows?  Only time will tell.