XXXTENTACION + Lil Peep Posthumously Sued For "Falling Down"
A posthumous collaboration between late rappers Lil Peep and XXXTENTACION is stirring up drama. Richard Jaden Hoff, previously known by stage name K.R.i.O., has sued the two artists for allegedly using one of his guitar riffs.
XXXTENTACION + Lil Peep Posthumously Sued For "Falling Down"
Hoff says his "Under My Breath" guitar riff was sped up and used for the posthumous track “Falling Down.” The strange part of the new legal battle is that Hoff names the two artists in the case as if they are still alive and is not suing their estates, who are now in charge of their music and catalog.
Specifically, Hoff claims his guitar riff in "Falling Down" is looped, sped up, filtered and equalized. He says that while Peep and XXX altered the riff, it remained substantially similar to the guitar part in "Under My Breath" and a “blatant ripoff." (TMZ)
Strange Timing
Hoff’s track dropped in June of 2018, so the timing is a little strange. This is the same month that XXXTENTACION was shot and killed in, with “Under My Breath” dropping five days before the fateful day. “Falling Down” ended up dropping in September and reached No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Legal Action
It didn’t end there, though. Hoff is also suing several record labels and producers of the song
What's really odd is Hoff's lawsuit, for copyright infringement, is written like Peep and XXX are still alive. He's NOT suing their estates and refers to both of them in the current tense and says they're residents of California. Might be time for a Google search, Hoff… Hoff also names Columbia Records, Sony Entertainment and several producers of the tracks as defendants.