Juice Wrld Sued for $15 Million by Pop-Punk Band Yellowcard

Juice Wrld is being sued.

According to court documents obtained by XXL on Tuesday (Oct. 22), members of the former pop-punk band Yellowcard have filed a suit against Juice for copyright infringement over his breakout 2017 track "Lucid Dreams," claiming he illegally sampled elements of their 2006 song, “Holly Wood Died.”

In addition to the Fall 2019 XXL cover star, the suit also names Taz Taylor, who's the founder of Internet Money, which is the production company that Nick Mira, the song's producer, is signed to, and their respective publishing companies and record labels, including Grade A Productions and its parent company, Interscope Records.

On Monday (Oct. 21), the complaint was filed in United States District Court Central District of California for more than $15 million in damages, as well as past and future royalties for the song. Yellowcard also claim they should receive damages from Juice Wrld’s tours and other public appearances because, they say, the “overwhelming success” of "Lucid Dreams" launched his career and provided him "substantial opportunities to tour and perform around the world.”

Throughout the complaint, Yellowcard highlights the similarities of the two songs with a chart analyzing both. They also attempt to establish access, which is something that needs to be proven in order to win a case like this. Among the examples provided, the suit highlights Juice’s love for “emo pop rock”—the genre of music Yellowcard made—and his previously-stated appreciation for Fall Out Boy’s 2005 album, From Under the Cork Tree, which features producer Neal Avron, who produced “Holly Wood Died.” They do not see that as a coincidence.

“Since it is very common for a fan of works produced for an artist by a specific producer to listen to other works by that same producer," the complaint states, "it is likely that Defendant Juice WRLD’s appreciation for the album From Under the Cork Tree led to exposure to Yellowcard’s album Lights and Sounds and the Original Work 'Holly Wood Died.'"

The lawsuit claims Taz Taylor "knowingly and intentionally licensed and distributed the Infringing Work, or authorized the licensing and distribution, to California companies and for California distribution, including licensing the Infringing Work for inclusion in the Infringing Sound Recording, for digital download, and for streaming, among other things."

Nick Mira is also listed in the lawsuit as "knowingly and intentionally licensed and distributed the Infringing Work, or authorized the licensing and distribution, to California companies and for California distribution, including licensing the Infringing Work for inclusion in the Infringing Sound Recording, for digital download, and for streaming, among other things."

“Lucid Dreams” has been certified 5x multi-platinum by the RIAA since its release in 2017, and previously peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also samples Sting's 1993 track "Shape of My Heart." According to Nick Mira, the veteran rocker took 85 percent of the song for himself, despite Mira only interpolating it and not sampling it. Both Mira and Juice say that Sting also threatened to sue, but it does not appear he followed through.

XXL has reached out to Juice Wrld, Nick Mira and Taz Taylor for comment. You can listen to both songs below.

See Photos From Juice Wrld's Fall 2019 XXL Magazine Cover Shoot