Photo Credit: Icebox / CC by 3.0
Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, and Gunna are being sued for $1 million for a sample allegedly used in their collaborative song, “Strawberry Peels.”
Sun City Publishing is suing Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, and Gunna for allegedly sampling Blackout’s 1995 song “Dim Da Lights” for their collaborative track “Strawberry Peels” without permission. The artists’ labels, Atlantic and Generation Now, and “Strawberry Peels” producer Wheezy have also been named in the lawsuit.
Court documents allege that Sun City Publishing never gave Uzi permission to use the sample of “Dim Da Lights.” Because “Strawberry Peels” has amassed more than $1 million as a successful hit — with over 39 million streams on Spotify and more than four million plays on YouTube — Sun City is asking at least that amount in damages.
Released in 2020, “Strawberry Peels” was featured on Lil Uzi Vert’s album Eternal Atake. Blackout’s “Dim Da Lights” was featured on the Memphis group’s 1995 album Dreamworld.
This lawsuit is only the latest legal issue for Young Thug and Gunna, both of whom were indicted last year in the massive RICO case against the Young Slime Life (YSL) collective. Prosecutors allege YSL is a “criminal street gang” behind a series of violent crimes in the Atlanta area.
On December 14, Gunna secured his freedom by pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge and was released from jail. He had been behind bars since his arrest in May and was sentenced to five years with one year served.
Young Thug is facing eight out of a possible 65 charges, including conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and two counts of participating in criminal street gang activity. He is also facing charges for 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 will begin on January 9 and is expected to last for a minimum of six weeks.