The Weeknd is being accusing of stealing music for one of his biggest hits.
The three-time Grammy winner is being sued for allegedly plagiarizing another song for his 2018 triple-platinum single, “Call Out My Name.”
Songwriters Suniel Fox and Henry Strange filed a copyright lawsuit claiming that the hit lifted elements from their 2015 track “Vibeking,” according to Law 360. They also say they have records of correspondence with Eric White, the Weeknd’s DJ and playback engineer, who told them that the singer described their track as “fire.”
Fox and Strange are seeking all profits from “Call Out My Name” as well as legal fees, and they want to prevent The Weeknd from performing or distributing the song until a verdict is reached.
While the Canadian artist copes with the legal action, his career is being recognized by an academic institution, along with another star from Toronto.
The Weeknd and his longtime friend Drake are the subjects of a new course at Ryerson University in their hometown.
“Deconstructing Drake and The Weeknd” will begin in 2022, taught by Professor Dalton Higgins.
“Why Drake & The Weeknd one might ask?,” Higgins wrote on Instagram while mentioning courses taught in the United States examining the music of Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Prince and Outkast.
“It’s time to get our Canadian rap & R&B icons recognized & canonized academically or otherwise,” the professor maintained. “And it is CRITICAL for scholars, historians, to examine the Toronto music scene that birthed Drake/Weeknd and helped create the conditions for them to become mega successful.”
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