Lamar faces lawsuit

NEW YORK: The rapper Kendrick Lamar was sued for allegedly copying the music from the 1975 Bill Withers song “Don’t You Want To Stay” for his song “I Do This” without permission.
According to a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, Lamar added his own lyrics to a “direct and complete copy” of Withers’ music to create “I Do This,” resulting in copyright infringement.
Lamar, whose “untitled unmastered” topped the Billboard 200 album chart in March, has ignored demands to stop exploiting Withers’ music, and “admitted” to copying it “with a thumb to the nose, catch me if you can attitude,” the complaint said. The lawsuit was filed by Golden Withers Music and Musidex Music, which said they hold the copyright to “Don’t You Want to Stay.”
Withers sang and co-wrote the song, which appears on his album “Making Music.” Lamar’s “I Do This” appears on a self-titled extended-play album from 2009.
The lawsuit seeks a halt to the alleged infringement and unspecified damages.
A lawyer for Lamar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.