Plies has decided to withdraw his copyright lawsuit against Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Cardi B, and Soulja Boy, filing a motion to dismiss the case “without prejudice.” This decision, reported by Billboard, means that the Florida rapper could choose to refile his lawsuit later should he wish to proceed again.
This latest development in the case adds complexity to the ongoing discussion about the similarities in music production and copyright infringement.
Get this: Initially, Plies filed the lawsuit claiming that the artists had copied his 2008 song “Me & My Goons” in their 2024 release “Wanna Be.” According to the lawsuit, the alleged infringement stemmed from what Plies described as a shared “infrared countdown beat” between the two tracks and Soulja Boy’s “Pretty Boy Swag.”
Soulja Boy responded to Plies’ accusations, vehemently denying any wrongdoing. In a video posted in November 2024, Soulja Boy argued that the beat in question was not Plies’ and criticized him for waiting years to file the lawsuit. “‘Pretty Boy Swag’ is not your [beat],” Soulja Boy stated. “So you wanna wait 10 years to try to sue a nia for a beat? That is not your beat, crazy man… What the fk is wrong with you, Plies? You need to change your name to ‘Lies,’ ’cause you a muthafkin’ liar… You know that ain’t your muthafkin’ beat, bro,” he continued. “That beat is all original music. You only could sue somebody if they sample your song and don’t get it cleared. That is not a sample, bro.”
Moreover, Soulja Boy’s criticism extended to the nature of Plies’ legal action, labeling it as unwarranted. “The songs don’t sound nothing alike… That’s some police sh*t. You trying to sue a nia? I thought you was gangsta. I thought you was a goon… You gonna go snitch to the white man: ‘He stole my beat!’ Police-a ni**a, you a snitch,” Soulja Boy ranted.
Legal experts and social media users have pointed out that tracks from the late 2000s shared a similar cadence and beat structure, with one particular track predating “Me & My Goons” and “Pretty Boy Swag.”
Check this: producer LilJujuMadeDaBeat also chimed in, calling attention to the 2007 song “My Dougie” by Lil Wil, which uses the same “infrared countdown beat.” LilJujuMadeDaBeat highlighted that the song, produced by Big E, was made before Plies’ track and was credited in “Wanna Be.” He further noted that Soulja Boy’s “Pretty Boy Swag” could be considered a remake of “My Dougie” as well, especially since Soulja Boy was involved in a remix of the song. “Me & My Goons” wasn’t even the primary single from Plies’ album, and the producer concluded that Plies might just be seeking a financial gain from the situation. “Plies just trynna get some money lol,” he added.
Anyways, another day, another lawsuit in Hip Hop.