Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug and Gunna have been accused of stealing the sample for their collaborative song “Strawberry Peels.”
According to TMZ Hip Hop Uzi, Thug and Gunna are being sued by Sun City Publishing for allegedly sampling Blackout’s 1995 song “Dim Da Lights” without permission. The rappers’ labels, Atlantic and Generation Now, as well as “Strawberry Peels” producer Wheezy, are also named in the lawsuit.
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According to court documents, Sun City never gave Uzi permission to use the sample of the track. And because “Strawberry Peels” has proved to be a hit — amassing over 39 million Spotify streams, more than four million plays on YouTube and raked in over $1 million — Sun City wants at least that amount in damages.
“Strawberry Peels” was featured on Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake album, which dropped in 2020. The song finds the trio rapping about their frequent drug use and excessive jewelry flexing. Blackout’s “Dim da Lights” was featured on the Memphis rap group’s 1995 album Dreamworld.
The lawsuit is just the latest legal headache for Young Thug and Gunna, who were indicted last year in a massive RICO case against their Young Slime Life (YSL) collective, which prosecutors allege is a “criminal street gang” behind a series of violent crimes in and around Atlanta.
Gunna secured his freedom by pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge on December 14 and was subsequently released from jail. He was sentenced to five years with one year served, accounting for the time he’d spent behind bars since being arrested in May.
Thug, on the other hand, is facing eight out of a possible 65 charges. Those include conspiracy to violate the RICO and two counts of participation in criminal street gang activity, which were filed when the rapper was originally indicted.
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He has also been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of codeine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm and possession of a machine gun.
The trial is set to begin on January 9 and is expected to last for well over six months.
