Brooklyn-based rapper and songwriter Duval ‘D.Chamberz’ Chamberlain, along with sound engineer and producer Kenley ‘Kass the Producer’ Carmenate, have initiated legal proceedings against Ice Spice, whose real name is Isis Gaston. The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of New York, alleges copyright infringement related to Ice Spice’s 2023 song, “In Ha Mood.”
According to documents obtained by TMZ and Rolling Stone, Chamberlain and Carmenate contend that Ice Spice and her producer, Riot, unlawfully replicated the name, beat, lyrics, hook, and rhythmic structure from their 2022 track, “In That Mood.” The legal filing asserts that neither permission nor proper credit was sought for the alleged similarities.
The filing states, “The similarities between ‘In Ha Mood’ and ‘In That Mood,’ including the key phrase used in the chorus and repeated in a substantially similar manner numerous times throughout both songs, are such that it is simply not reasonable to believe that ‘In Ha Mood’ could have been created without having heard ‘In That Mood’ first. (The songs) are so strikingly similar that they cannot be purely coincidental.”
Chamberlain and Carmenate claim that Riot, Ice Spice’s producer, encountered their song on the radio, and both Spice and Riot witnessed live performances of the track in New York. The musicians argue, “Upon information and belief, Ice Spice, Riot, and/or members of their creative teams were present for certain public performances of ‘In That Mood’ during the relevant time period.”
As a remedy, Chamberlain and Carmenate are seeking damages and a minimum of fifty percent of the song’s publishing. As of now, Ice Spice, a 24-year-old rapper, has not responded to the lawsuit. The legal proceedings highlight the ongoing complexities surrounding intellectual property disputes within the music industry.
