Bishop David Paul Moten, a pastor in Texas,
has filed a lawsuit in Dallas against Rapper Kanye ‘Ye’ West. Moten says that the rapper used part of his sermon without his approval.
Bishop Moten is from The Joy of the Lord Worship Center, in Victoria, Texas.
Court documents note that Moten has accused West of using 70 seconds of his sermon on the track “Come to Life.” It was featured on “Donda” which is Kanye’s award-winning album.
In addition to West, Moten has also filed a lawsuit against G.O.O.D. Music, Def Jam Recordings, and UMG Recordings in relation to the sampling of the material.
In August 2021, “Donda” was released. The “Come to Life” track was produced by West, Jeff Bhasker, Warren Campbell, Mark Williams, and Raul Cubina.
Lawyers for Moten say that the entire track is five minutes and 10 seconds long. They say that one minute and 10 seconds of it is taken directly from Moten’s sermon.
The song begins with a man thanking God while other people are praising. Within the first two minutes, a woman is heard saying “hallelujah” many times. Moten’s part seems to go through the pre-chorus and chorus throughout the track.
Moten’s lawyers added that West has a history of “willfully and egregiously sampling sound recordings of others without consent or permission.”
