Flattering or Foe?

10.3.23

This past New Music Friday, Latto dropped a new song titled Issa Party, featuring Baby Drill. While the title may have had made you think of 21 Savage, and the sound of the chorus feel like Peaches & Eggplants, the early hip-hop fans will recognize the lyrics and flow of the chorus. Is it flattering, or is there some paying up to do?

On Latto’s new track Issa Party, you hear a bit of the raspy tones from Peach & Eggplants Remix with Yung Nudy. However, based on the lyrics and the flow from Issa Party, hip-hop heads are asking if Waka Flocka Flame is cool with Latto stealing his flow. To which, he stated he was flattered.

The chorus to Latto’s new track, Issa Party, Issa Party, Issa Party, mimics the flow of when Waka Flocka used the same lyrics and flow in his track, Grove St. Party from 2010. When a fan had commented that Waka Flocka should have sued Latto for stealing his flow, Waka Flocka responded with the exact opposite feeling. He wrote that using the flow was flattering, and he would never new talent for paying their dues to those whom came before them, while also shouting out her hometown of Clay Co.

While this is highly respectable from Waka Flocka, and certainly meant as an ode from Latto, there are still many that do not take the similarities in lyrics and flows as lightly. Many artists do get sued for similar situations, even when the artist does mean it as a positive ode to the artist whom came before them. Many artists across all genres have been sued for copyright infringement or plagiarism. From Lil Wayne, to Ed Sheeran, to Madonna. They have all been taken to court for their music and being (perhaps a bit too much) inspired but the music coming before them.

Would you consider this flattering from younger artists? Or are you going right for that copyright infringement bag?