Plies dismissed his lawsuit against Soulja Boy for their 2024 hit, Wanna Be, along with Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, and Cardi B. The artists were accused by the rapper of inappropriating his 2008 song, Me and My Goons. The suit was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice, which allowed Plies to refile the suit at another time.
A settlement is unknown to have been made between the parties. After his lawsuit was terminated, Soulja Boy publicly shamed Plies on social media. As per Akademiks TV, he called Plies a "dummy" and said that the beat used in Wanna Be was his. He stated on X:
"Just like I thought sit yo lil broke a*s down n**ga."
This has heightened tension between the two musicians. Boy has previously publicly taunted Plies, thinking the lawsuit was groundless. The online rant has highlighted concerns about music sampling and copyright lawsuits in the industry.
Why did Plies sue Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Cardi B, and Soulja Boy?
As reported by Hot New HipHop, Plies accused Wanna Be of having an unauthorized sample of his 2008 track, Me and My Goons. The rapper said his work was sampled without his approval. Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Cardi B, and Soulja Boy were listed in the suit. Plies' argument in his court document is that the artists ought to have acquired appropriate clearance for the sample.
He was seeking damages because he alleged that using his song had helped make Wanna Be successful. The issue revolved around whether the sampled part was substantial enough to warrant a lawsuit.
The dismissal of the lawsuit raised questions regarding whether Plies had a legitimate claim. Since the dismissal was without prejudice, Plies could decide to bring the case again if any new evidence arises.
What was Soulja Boy's response to the dropped lawsuit?
Soulja Boy replied condemning Plies for even bringing the lawsuit. He referred to Plies as a "dummy" and maintained that he didn't have any claim over the beat in question.
He asserted that the beat employed in Wanna Be came from his song, Pretty Boy Swag. He contended that Plies' accusations were unjustified and driven by money. He continued to take credit for the original beat and rejected Plies' accusations. The public back-and-forth between the two rappers has maintained the feud in the limelight.
What does this dispute mean for the music industry?
The dispute illustrates some of the long-standing issues in the music business about sampling and copyright. Sampling is widespread in hip-hop, but conflict can occur when artists do not agree on giving proper credit and ownership rights.
Here, Soulja Boy's opinion that the beat belonged to him conflicted with Plies' assertion that parts of Me and My Goons had been sampled without authorization. These types of instances usually involve legal professionals figuring out if a sample is substantial enough to lead to legal action.
The battle between Soulja Boy and Plies for Wanna Be sample mirrors the normal strains in the music industry. Though the lawsuit dismissal ended the case, it opened the possibility of a new lawsuit down the line.
Public remarks from Soulja Boy kept the matter topical, and both fans and critics continued to argue the merits of the issue.

Your perspective matters!
Start the conversation