Kanye West Makes "N-ggas In Paris" Joke While Testifying In Court

Kanye West has a history of having a flippant attitude during very serious moments, which has landed him in hot water.

With a hatred for bending to anyone, his irreverence was on full display during a copyright infringement case at the expense of his own attorney, according to Billboard.

“When his attorney asked whether he won a Grammy for ‘Brothers in Paris,’ Ye responded, ‘What’s the real name?’ and joined in on a chorus of laughter from the courtroom gallery,” Billboard writes.

Of course, the real title of the song is “N-ggas in Paris.” It was the second single off his collaborative 2011 album with JAŸ-Z, Watch the Throne. However, the song took on a life of its own, becoming a big hit, reaching number five on the US Billboard Hot 100, and the two performed encores more than 10 times during their tour.

And yes, it did win two Grammys, in 2013 for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, though Ye infamously boycotted the ceremony because it wasn’t nominated for Record of the Year.

But back to the lawsuit: it was filed by four producers — DJ Khalil, Sam Barsh, John Mease, and Dan Seeff — who are accusing him of using samples without clearing them for the song. 

The song in question is “MSD PT2,” from the demo for “Hurricane,” which was played during the Kanye West Presents The Donda Album Release event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2021.

But Ye’s defense is that his team did reach out to them for clearance, but they took too long to respond.

“We went through the normal process to get it taken care of,” said Ye, adding that he prides himself “on giving people what they deserve” in terms of song credits and monies owed. 

So he believes that the whole lawsuit is unfair and is the result of his success. 

“I feel like a lot of people try to take advantage of me,” Ye told the jury. “As I sit in this courtroom today, I just think people are trying to make more than they otherwise would because it’s me.”

Ye’s testimony lasted a little over an hour, in a lawsuit that was first filed in 2024. A judge dismissed most of it in February, and the four producers are now fighting for the revenue made from the listening session’s “ticket sales, merch, and a $750,000 livestreaming deal with Apple Music.”

See social media’s reaction to Ye’s joking below.