Roddy Ricch is facing a lawsuit that claims his smash hit “The Box” steals elements from a 1975 song.
Rolling Stone reports Greg Perry, a California-based songwriter, filed an 18-page complaint Tuesday in which he alleged that “The Box” was released with “a complete duplication” of his song “Come on Down.”
“Expert musicology analysis confirms that the ascending minor scale played by violin at the opening of ‘Come On Down’ is a distinctive musical element which recurs a total of six times throughout the song,” reads the lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone.
It continues, “Comparative analysis of the beat, lyrics, hook, rhythmic structure, metrical placement, and narrative context by a musicology expert demonstrates clearly and convincingly that ‘The Box’ is an unauthorized duplication and infringement of certain elements of ‘Come On Down.’”
“Come on Down” also inspired hits from other hip-hop artists: “Wordplay” by Jeezy and Yo Gotti‘s “I Remember.”
“The use of the distinctive compositional elements of ‘Come On Down’ have remained so popular in both the R&B and rap community that access to the composition is firmly established,” Perry claims.
“The Box,” a single off Roddy’s debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, dropped in 2019. It was nominated for three Grammys and peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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