Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, is being sued for stealing someone’s song, and the deep part about it is that the comedian-actor-turned-rapper might have done it.
According to a court document obtained by AllHipHop.com, another rapper named Kidd Wes says that he released a song in 2016 entitled “Made in America,” and Gambino’s GRAMMY award-winning song, “This is America,” is a straight rip off!
And he wants to get paid!
In addition to Gambino, his record label, Roc Nation, and Young Thug have been named in the document.
Kidd Wes’ government name is Emelike Nwosuocha and his song appeared on SoundCloud almost two years before Gambino’s song was released.
The digital trail is clear: he debuted it on the streaming platform in September of 2016, released the video not long after, and then registered it with the U.S Copyright Office in May 2017.
Kid Wes, according to the filing, says that the hook of the Gambino’s chart-topper, “unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical” to his song. AllHipHop.com listened to both tracks and it seems like Wes might be onto something.
Wes’ “Made is America” does have a staccato type of flow that is duplicated on “This is America.”
Kidd Wes rhymes “Made in America / Flex on the radio / Made me a terrorist / Pessimistic n##### / You should just cherish this”
Gambino then says, “This is America / Guns in my area / I got the strap / I gotta carry ’em”