A copyright lawsuit over Quavo’s 2018 solo track “Bubble Gum” has been settled by Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Chappell Music. The case, brought by a US rapper, concludes a dispute that began in 2024.
Lawyers informed a judge of the settlement in a court filing dated Wednesday, Nov. 11. The deal terms are confidential.
The allegations#
The plaintiff, Lamount London, who performs as L.Mont, says he gave Quavo (Quavious Marshall) a CD containing a demo of his song “Bubblegum” in 2016. He says the CD was handed over after he opened for Migos and 2 Chainz at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans.
London alleges that Quavo copied several elements from that demo for “Bubble Gum,” released on the Migos rapper’s solo album Quavo Huncho in 2018.
“There are unmistakable similarities between the two works,” read London’s lawsuit. “Based upon a side-by-side comparison of the two songs, a layperson could hear similarities in the lyrics, arrangement, melody, core expression, content, and other compositional elements in both songs and conclude that songs are essentially identical.”
Defendants and the album#
London sought financial damages for copyright infringement from Quavo, UMG and Warner Chappell. The parties involved in the case and the album’s commercial performance are as follows:
- Quavo Huncho was distributed by UMG’s Motown and Capitol Records.
- The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and spent 27 weeks on it.
- Warner Chappell administers some of the publishing rights to “Bubble Gum.”
Status of the case#
The lawsuit was in its early stages when it settled, and none of the defendants had yet responded in writing to the claims. Representatives for London, Quavo, UMG and Warner did not respond to requests for comment on the settlement.
