Ye Settles Lawsuit Over ‘Gun to My Head’ Sample From Descendant of Holocaust Survivors
German singer-songwriter Alice Merton claimed she had expressly denied the rapper's clearance request due to his history of antisemitism.
Ye (formerly Kanye West) has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by Alice Merton, a German singer-songwriter and descendant of Holocaust survivors. Merton alleged that Ye's 2024 track "Gun to My Head" sampled her earlier song "Blindside" without permission, citing his history of antisemitism. According to court filings, both parties have agreed to complete certain performance obligations as part of the settlement, though no specific details were disclosed.
Ye's lawyers had previously argued that Merton lacked proper evidence for a copyright claim, while also pointing out that "Gun to My Head" was only available on a limited digital release. The case was set to go to trial in March, but a judge recently denied Ye's request to remove references to the Holocaust and antisemitism from the lawsuit.
Ye has faced multiple lawsuits over alleged unauthorized samples and interpolations in his music throughout his career, with many settled and one going to trial earlier this year.
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