Alice Merton, a German-born singer and lyricist, has filed a federal copyright infringement lawsuit against Kanye West (Ye) in the U.S. District Court of California. The lawsuit stems from the controversial rapper’s unauthorized use of Merton’s 2022 song “Blindside” in his 2024 track “Gun to My Head,” which features Ty Dolla $ign and Kid Cudi. Merton claims she refused to allow Ye to sample her work, but the rapper used the sample “intentionally and maliciously.”
The lawsuit is particularly significant due to Merton’s personal history; her family survived the Holocaust, which amplifies the emotional distress caused by Ye’s actions, especially given his recent history of anti-Semitic remarks and Nazi sympathies. Merton expressed that she was “shocked and humiliated” when she heard her song’s elements used in Ye’s performance of “Gun to My Head” at the Condor Listening Event in December 2023.
Additionally, Merton alleges that Ye’s fans harassed her and even issued threats, blaming her for not clearing the sample. The German artist is seeking at least $1 million in punitive damages and any profits Ye made from the unauthorized use of her song.
This lawsuit adds to the growing list of controversies surrounding Ye, whose recent anti-Semitic behavior has sparked widespread condemnation.
