Rock it Out! Blog » Blog Archive » Gorillaz accused of copying song for “Stylo”

Gorillaz accused of copying song for “Stylo”

The first single from Gorillaz new album, Plastic Beach, was the infectious song “Stylo”. With its pulsing beat and memorable keyboard line, you’re instantly hooked when you hear the tune. But an artist is crying foul over the song because he says the primates copied him.

Recording artist Eddy Grant is consulting lawyers after he claimed that the keyboard line from “Stylo” rips off his song “Time Warp” (via NME).

“Damon Albarn knows in his heart of hearts that this is a song that he’s loved, in his club days,” Grant said. “I don’t know the guy, but he knows this is a song he loves.”

Another gripe that Grant has is that EMI didn’t contact him leading up to the release of the song.

“It has to go back to the beginning, where it should have started with a phone call from Damon to my publisher. My publisher would have contacted me – the publisher being of course the same EMI that looks after his [music].

“In a properly configured relationship I would have gotten a call from EMI to say, ‘Damon wants to use ‘Time Warp’. What arrangement can you guys come to? Would you claim 100 percent, would you claim 60 percent, or 70 percent of whatever it is?’”.

Down below are both the songs “Time Warp” and “Stylo”. Listen for yourself. Do you think Gorillaz ripped off the track or are these the ramblings of someone who wants a little fame?