Travis Scott, SZA and Future have been slapped with a lawsuit accusing the trio of ripping off the song “Telekinesis” from an indie artist named Victory Boyd.
The lawsuit claims Scott SZA and Future lifted key lyrics and melodies from Boyd’s 2019 track “Like the Way It Sounds”—and turned it into a certified Platinum hit.
Victory Boyd, a Roc Nation signee, alleges the original song was shared with Kanye West back in 2019 during a studio session.
West planned to release the music as a song titled “Future Bounce” or “Ultrasound” on his Donda album, but the track was cut from the final release.
Boyd claims she left the track at Kanye’s studio at his ranch in Wyoming, where he played the track for Travis Scott, who started recording his version of the song without permission.
From there, Boyd says Scott brought in SZA and Future to help rework the material into “Telekinesis” from his hit album Utopia.
Boyd claims the lyrics “I can see the future is looking like we level through the sky, I can’t wait to live in glory of eternal paradise…might as well turn up now, He gone pop up unannounced, hear the trumpets, do you like the way it sounds?” were stolen from her track.
The lawsuit further alleges that the infringement didn’t stop with the song’s release.
Despite Boyd refusing to grant permission for her work to be used, the lawsuit contends that luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet incorporated “Telekinesis” into a high-profile advertising campaign in 2023, reaping financial rewards without compensating her.
Boyd is after damages and a full accounting of profits from the track’s release, streams, and live performances.
