Source: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis / Getty
A new song from Ye aka Kanye West covering a hit by the Backstreet Boys could land him in trouble as he allegedly didn't get permission from them.
According Kanye West is reportedly set to release his latest album, vultures, this week. As the artwork for the album was released, the song 'Everybody' stands out. It's a new rendition of the Backstreet Boys' 1997 smash hit “Everybody (Backstreet's Back).” However, sources close to the group claim they never got official permission to use the song.
West previewed the album during a private live listening session held in Miami, Florida on Monday (December 11). In his song, the original sung by the members of the Backstreet Boys is heard along with the chorus until Ty Dolla $ign takes over to sing. The song also features Charlie Wilson and Lil Baby. In technical terms, the new choir is an interpolation. If West were to use the sample of the original song, he would need permission from the label and publisher. Making an interpolation would only require permission from whoever has the publishing rights.
From there it gets more difficult, as the Backstreet Boys do not own the publishing rights to this song. Owned by Swedish producer Max Martin and his mentor, the late Denniz Pop. It appears, so far, that neither Pop's estate nor Martin have given Kanye permission to use the song. Martin's publisher, Kobalt, said in answer to press investigations: “We do not comment on legal matters.” Reps for the Backstreet Boys and Martin also declined to comment.
The situation is another strange one for West, who appeared at the audition wearing a black Ku Klux Klan hoodie as well as Nazi imagery. There is no word on how Vultures will be released to the public as the rapper is no longer with Def Jam and Sony Music Publishing, reportedly quietly parting ways with both in 2021. It wasn't until the barrage of anti-Semitic comments he made late last year that this news resurfaced .
