Lil Nas X Denies “Rodeo” Copyright Infringement Claim, Asks for Case to Be Dismissed
In October 2019, Lil Nas X, along with collaborators including Cardi B, faced a copyright infringement lawsuit over his 2019 song “Rodeo.” The lawsuit, filed by producers Don Lee and Glen Keith, claimed that his song shared similarities with their 2017 work “gwenXdonlee4-142,” which was later incorporated into the song “Broad Day” by PuertoReefa and Sakrite Duexe. In a new legal document (filed February 4 in a New York federal court), Lil Nas X has denied the claims and asked for the case to be dismissed, as The Blast reports and Pitchfork can confirm via court documents.
In his legal response, Lil Nas X argues, “The work, ‘Rodeo,’ was created independently from and without knowledge of the allegedly infringed work.” The statement continues, “Without admitting the use of any copyrighted material allegedly owned by Plaintiffs, the conduct of which they complain was impliedly and/or expressly licensed.” Collaborators on “Rodeo” have yet to respond. Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for further comment.
When reached by Pitchfork, Scott Alan Burroughs, an attorney for Don Lee and Glen Keith, said, “The answer filed by the defense is standard and contains no real evidence that disputes or rebuts the copyright claims in the complaint. We look forward to our day in court.”
The initial lawsuit argued that “Broad Day” was “performed, published, and distributed widely, including without limitation in and around the Atlanta hip-hop scene.” It alleged that the similarities between “Broad Day” and “Rodeo” include a 4-measure phrase outlining the chord progression E, F, G, F, E. It also alleged that the songs use similar instruments, drumbeats, and more.
In the time since the lawsuit, Lil Nas X has performed “Rodeo” at the Grammys and released the music video for a new version of the track featuring Nas.
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
