This is America: Childish Gambino sued by rapper who claims track is ‘practically identical’ to his song

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music

Get our Now Hear This email for free

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Childish Gambino is being sued over claims he stole the song “This is America” from another rapper.

The musician and actor – real name Donald Glover – released the track in 2018, where it went on to top the Billboard Hot 100 and earned four Grammys, including for Record and Song of the Year and Best Music Video.

Now TMZ is reporting that rapper Kidd Wes (whose real name is Emelike Nwosuocha) has filed a lawsuit against Glover.

Nwosuocha claims that the song is a copy of his track “Made in America”, which was released on SoundCloud in 2016 and registered with the US Copyright Office in May 2017.

According to legal documents, the rapper says that the chorus of “This is America” is “unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical” to his own song.

He has specifically pointed out the similarities between the refrain of “This is America”: “This is America / Guns in my area / I got the strap / I gotta carry ‘em” and “Made in America”: "Made in America / Flex on the radio / Made me a terrorist / Pessimistic n****s / You should just cherish this".

He is suing Glover, as well as the song’s co-writers, its record label, Roc Nation and fellow rapper Young Thug who sings backing vocals on the track.

The Independent has contacted Glover’s representatives for comment.