While the Indian film industry, especially Bollywood, has often found themselves in a spot for plagiarising world music, American rapper T-pain was recently accused of 'lifting' a tune from a Bollywood movie. Really.
In T-Pain's latest song, 'That’s Yo Money,' a recurring flute melody is used which sounds uncannily similar to the Hindi song 'Tum Hi Ho' from the movie Aashiqui 2, which became a chart-topped and a fan favorite when it released in 2013.
Following the plagiarism claim, the song, which was released on December 13, was taken down from YouTube, after T-Series, who own the rights to 'Tum Hi Ho' complained of copyright infringement.
The song still exists on other channels and on Twitter, as well as T-Pain's official tweet releasing it. Give it a listen.
One more surprise before the year’s over :) #ThatsYoMoney out now https://t.co/2ahN7kXenv pic.twitter.com/gMWen2BReK— T-Pain (@TPAIN) December 14, 2018
Twitter didn't hesitate to call him out for copying the tune, at all.
Sir, the melody that you have used in your new song is my original work for a previously released Hindi film..The Label is looking into this.#tumhiho #Aashiqui2 https://t.co/5fnDf4sfg7— Mithoon (@Mithoon11) December 15, 2018
Dunno why but this seems familiar #aashiqui2 #tumhiho @TPAIN https://t.co/69NJvAujsT . It’s a melody from Mithun’s song buddy @Mithoon11 @raiisonai @itsBhushanKumar— Mohit Suri (@mohit11481) December 15, 2018
SONG IS LIT WITH THAT TUM HI HO INSTRUMENTAL — red nose (@bangs_52) December 15, 2018
Hello @TPAIN , if u are a hard working & passionate musician then would request u to kindly remove the instrumental music played here which is #tumhiho & actually owned by @Mithoon11 . Mithoon's passion & hard work results in such brilliant original tunes.Sure u can do the same— Sumeet Basu (@sumeetbasu) December 16, 2018
Exact copy of #TumHiHo . You're right @Mithoon11 — Jüsst Shrâddha♪ (@skgem_Shakira) December 15, 2018
The rapper's response to the accusations have also been baffling, and somewhat problematic - He denied accountability for the move, and also called people pointing out the plagiarism out 'brown twitter.'
Woke up to getting dragged by brown twitter. Sooooo yea. I definitely didn’t produce this song. Had no idea that was a sample and have never heard the music before I got the beat from the producer. Easy thing to work out. The labels will be in contact. Thanx— T-Pain (@TPAIN) December 15, 2018
Which definitely didn't go down well with people.
Brown Twitter !! Sir is that what your response is .?? is this a apology or foolish ignorance .if you hadn’t been so stuck up in your world and realised that this song has crossed over a billion streaming’s .maybe you would understand #Shameless @Mithoon11 @itsBhushanKumar— Mohit Suri (@mohit11481) December 16, 2018
LMAO "BROWN TWITTER"!!! IM ALIVEN'T— Gains, Grain, and Dames (@TdClue) December 15, 2018
Some even decided to have fun at his expense.
pic.twitter.com/lZFAfkqWwu— head baller of the universe (@vhzyszn) December 15, 2018
The real Kala Jatt— Priyaajk (@Pengjabi) December 16, 2018
Brown twitter rises.— Anmol Patel (@anmolpatell) December 17, 2018
Why so serious?! Funny imo https://t.co/43s6N19aIA— Bups Saggu (@BupsSaggu) December 17, 2018
What does this mean for the huge YouTube battle that's still raging between T-series, though?
T-PAIN ripping off T-SERIES in the middle of the biggest battle of the last decade????? @pewdiepie the rabbit hole goes deeper https://t.co/kwNgHGWwUZ— bombae (@Vermusss) December 16, 2018