Ice Spice finds herself in a legal tangle, facing a lawsuit from a pair of musicians. They’re pointing fingers, alleging she pilfered a melody from their tune for her “Like..?” EP’s track, “In Ha Mood.” The legal docs, which Pitchfork got ahold of, name Duval “D.Chamberz” Chamberlain and Kenley “Kass the Producer” Carmenate as the aggrieved parties. They assert that Ice Spice snagged elements from their song “In That Mood,” a track they unleashed in July 2022 on D.Chamberz’s album “Boom Bap 2 Drill Rap.”
D.Chamberz hails from Coney Island, Brooklyn – a rapper with roots in the city’s gritty streets. The complaint details how he and Kass cooked up “In That Mood” well before its Instagram tease on August 8, 2021. Fast-forward to early 2022, the single briefly hit streaming platforms, tied to an ad campaign that fizzled before it fired up. It resurfaced in the summer heat on “Boom Bap 2 Drill Rap,” still floating around the web.
The plot thickens in the courtroom drama, with D.Chamberz alleging he belted out “In That Mood” live at least 36 times around New York before January 2023 – when Ice Spice dropped “In Ha Mood.” The claim? Ice Spice’s crew might’ve caught one of those gigs. They’re even suggesting that producer RiotUSA was tuned into Hot 97 right when “In That Mood” echoed through the airwaves, a year prior to “In Ha Mood” birth.
D.Chamberz and his legal eagle are pushing the narrative that the similarities are too stark to be sheer coincidence. They’re talking about the catchy chorus, the vibe of the tracks – both echoing through the hip-hop and ‘drill’ scenes. The titles, the hooks, the beats per minute, the rhythms – they’re all sitting in the same ballpark, according to the complaint.
Reached for a statement, their lawyer, Chester R. “Chet” Ostrowski, didn’t mince words. He’s convinced D.Chamberz and Kass crafted something original and that the defendants took a slice of that creativity. Ostrowski suggests a back-to-back listen would make anyone’s ears perk up to the similarities. He’s standing firm that this isn’t just happenstance.
Ostrowski doesn’t shy away from the bigger picture either, lamenting how music copyright infringement is becoming commonplace. He champions the cause of those wronged, urging them to stand up and fight for their rights. It’s about protecting artistry, he says, ensuring creators get the recognition they’ve earned.
Just yesterday, D.Chamberz and Kass made it official, slapping the lawsuit on the New York federal court’s desk. The list of defendants reads like a who’s who: Ice Spice, her label Dolo Entertainment Inc., RiotUSA, and a slew of industry heavyweights including Capitol Records and Universal Music Group. Meanwhile, Pitchfork’s reached out to Ice Spice’s camp, fishing for their side of the story.
