Photo Credit: Feid – Ferxxo 100 (Official Video)
Colombian artist Feid faces a copyright infringement lawsuit over his 2022 smash hit ‘Ferxxo 100’ and two other songs, alongside Universal Music.
Composer Sebastien Graux is suing Latin artist Feid, whose real name is Salomón Villada Hoyos, over samples allegedly used without compensation in his 2022 hit “Ferxxo 100” and two other songs, “X20X” and “De Tanto Chimbiar.” Graux, who composes guitar loops, alleges in his complaint that despite “months of reassurances” from producers, he was not credited or compensated for his samples’ use in the songs.
The complaint filed Monday with the US District Court for the Southern District of California says Graux was told repeatedly by the songs’ producers that he would be appropriately paid and credited. But eventually, he was given compensation terms that made him believe he was being “taken advantage of by the creative team behind the three infringing songs.”
“Graux attempted to resolve this dispute outside of litigation,” the complaint reads, which also names Universal Music Group, Colombian label Icon Music, and producers Sky Rompiendo and Jowan (Johan Esteban Espinosa Cuervo), as co-defendants. “However, those attempts were wholly unsuccessful, necessitating the present action.”
In the filing, Graux alleges he met with Feid’s team at Icon Music during a trip to Colombia in September 2021. This led him to a meeting with producers Sky Rompiendo and Jowan. During a later trip to Miami, Graux gave Jowan access to several audio files containing his copyrighted works. Later, Jowan is said to have informed Graux he used three of those works on three Feid tracks.
“Graux was ecstatic at the opportunity to be featured on these songs and looked forward to receiving a producer credit for his contributions to the songs’ melody and overall composition,” the filing reads. “However, despite months of reassurances from Jowan and others associated with defendants that Graux would be credited and compensated appropriately for his contributions, plaintiff still has not been paid at all or properly credited.”
“Ferxxo 100,” the biggest hit of the three songs in question, was released in June 2022. The track has been streamed over 444 million times on Spotify, while the official music video on YouTube has racked up 245 million views.
Two months after the release of “Ferxxo 100,” the complaint says Sky Rompiendo’s company made “one of the least favorable proposals” that Graux and his management team had ever received. “To date, no resolution has been reached.”
Graux, a Belgium native, composes guitar loops which have been featured in works by artists like Don Toliver, NBA YoungBoy, and Ricky Martin. He is asking for compensatory or statutory damages, a producer credit on the three songs, and compensation for attorney fees.
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