Ye and Ty Dolla $ign are facing a federal copyright lawsuit from two producers who accuse the rappers of using a sample from their 2018 recording in the song "Vultures" without permission or payment.
Producers Jaraed Deal and Marlon Barrow filed the complaint Friday, November 6, 2026, in Los Angeles federal court. They allege that Ty Dolla $ign first heard the recording during a phone call with Barrow, a longtime friend, and later received an MP3 copy with the understanding that a licensing agreement would be negotiated before the music was used commercially.
The disputed recording, titled "Joint 2," was created in November 2018. According to the lawsuit, Deal and Barrow each own a 50% interest in the composition and sound recording, which they developed with the intention of offering it to other recording artists.
Barrow, who says he has maintained a close personal and professional relationship with Ty Dolla $ign for decades, allegedly sent the rapper the track after he expressed interest in the music. The producers claim Barrow provided only an MP3, withholding the original recording files and individual instrumental tracks until the parties could negotiate a written agreement.
No licensing agreement was reached, according to the complaint, but portions of "Joint 2" allegedly appeared in "Vultures" when the song was released in November 2023. The recording subsequently appeared in additional versions and on Vultures 1, the collaborative album released by Ye and Ty Dolla $ign in February 2024.
The producers maintain that neither authorized the sample's use or received payment for it. Although Barrow received a producer credit on the finished song, he alleges that he was never compensated. Deal claims he received neither credit nor payment.
Their attorneys argue that Ty Dolla $ign's alleged possession of the original recording establishes how the disputed material reached the artists before the song was released.
Deal and Barrow also claim they attempted to resolve the matter before filing suit. They challenged the releases in December 2023 and contacted representatives for Ye's Yeezy business in January 2024, seeking to address the unauthorized use and have the recordings removed.
According to the complaint, Yeezy's attorneys proposed a buyout in October 2024. The producers rejected the offer, arguing that the proposed compensation was inadequate and failed to resolve their concerns over recognition for their work.
The lawsuit names Ye, whose legal name is Ye, Ty Dolla $ign, whose legal name is Tyrone William Griffin Jr., and several associated businesses, including Yeezy Record Label LLC, Yeezy LLC and Create Music Group.
The producers are seeking damages, profits allegedly attributable to the disputed recording, compensation for unauthorized use and an injunction against further infringement. They also request statutory damages and attorney fees to the extent permitted by copyright law.
Ye has previously faced copyright litigation over an allegedly unauthorized sample in his song "Hurricane", which reached a federal jury in Los Angeles earlier this year.
The new lawsuit asks the court to determine whether the use of "Joint 2" in "Vultures" infringed the producers' copyrights and whether they are entitled to compensation for the recording's commercial release.
