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Childish Gambino sued for alleged 'This Is America' copyright infringement

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Agence France-Presse

Childish Gambino is being sued for alleged copyright infringement, with the rapper Kidd Wes saying the Grammy-winning hit &quot;This Is America&quot; was lifted from him.According to US federal court documents Emelike Nwosuocha says the 2018 rap smash from Donald Glover, whose alter ego is Childish Gambino, is &quot;glaringly similar&quot; to a song he released two years prior on the Soundcloud platform.The complaint filed in New York cites &quot;nearly-identical unique rhythmic, lyrical, and thematic compositional and performance content contained in the chorus -- or &#x27;hook&#x27; -- sections that are the centerpieces of both songs.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/02/11/19/childish-gambino-wins-grammy-for-jarring-this-is-america-video">Childish Gambino wins Grammy for jarring &#x27;This is America&#x27; video</a></li></ul>&quot;This Is America&quot; in 2019 become the first rap song to win the prestigious Grammys honoring best song and best record.The song is packed with social commentary and juxtaposes an up-tempo rhythm, layered with church hymns and Afrobeats, with a heavier, more foreboding bassline. Nwosuocha says the flow of his song and Gambino&#x27;s are &quot;unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical.&quot;He cited a musicologist he employed to compare the two tracks, who said &quot;similarities in melodic contour, rhythmic triplet flow in each performance, and the lines &#x27;Made in America&#x27; and &#x27;This is America&#x27;&quot; are &quot;likely not coincidences.&quot;Nwosuocha is seeking a trial and damages, including for lost profits and opportunities. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/07/12/19/live-action-lion-king-movie-lands-with-a-critical-whimper">Live-action ‘Lion King’ movie lands with a critical whimper</a></li></ul>Among the defendants named in the complaint are Gambino&#x27;s record label RCA, along with Roc Nation and the rapper Young Thug, who is credited as a writer and performing backing vocals.Gambino has not publicly responded to the allegations.In 2018 a blogger wrote of a similarity between &quot;This Is America&quot; and a track from rapper Jase Harley called &quot;American Pharaoh.&quot;Harley declined to pursue legal action, as Gambino&#x27;s manager rejected the plagiarism allegations, saying computer files dating back to 2015 proved Gambino&#x27;s song was original.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/entertainment/03/14/21/performance-ng-k-pop-group-na-bts-sa-grammy-awards-inaabangan">Performance ng K-pop group na BTS sa Grammy Awards inaabangan</a></li></ul>

Rapper Kidd Wes said the Grammy-winning hit "This Is America" was lifted from him.

Rapper Kidd Wes said the Grammy-winning hit "This Is America" was lifted from him.