Kanye West has used Friedrich Nietzsche to get a lawsuit dismissed in the United States.
Kanye West has always boasted interests outside of the rap game. Whether working with Louis Vuitton or launching his film career, the hip hop icon has seized control of the role of Renaissance Man.
So when Vincent Peters decided to sue Kanye West he must have known that he had a battle on his hands. The songwriter took issue with the rapper’s track ‘Stronger’ and claimed that sections of the song had been pilfered from his own work.
As part of their defence, Kanye West’s legal team cited the work of Friedrich Nietzsche – in particular, the maxim “that which does not kill us makes us stronger”* which is used in the song.
Now the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in West’s favour, claiming that any similarity between ‘Stronger’ and Peters’ work is a coincidence.
“Although the fact that both songs quote from a 19th century German philosopher might, at first blush, seem to be an unusual coincidence, West correctly notes that the aphorism has been repeatedly invoked in song lyrics over the past century. Notably, an even more recent popular song – one that held the top spot in the Billboard Hot 100 chart at about the same time as oral argument in this case – also shares this key feature with both West’s and Vince P’s songs.”
The “top spot” track in question? Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)’. Read the entire ruling HERE.
‘Stronger’.
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*ClashMusic is aware that Friedrich Nietzsche’s maxim has several accepted translations, this is simply the version used in the court case.
