Kendrick Lamar and SZA Settle Lawsuit Over "All the Stars" Music Video

The TDE artists were sued for alleged copyright infringement.

December 27, 2018

Kendrick Lamar and SZA secured a legal win earlier this week.

According to legal documents obtained by Pitchfork, the TDE artists have settled their copyright infringement lawsuit over the Black Panther soundtrack cut "All the Stars." British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor filed the suit back in February, claiming the song's music video appropriated elements from her "Constellations" series. The artist sued Kendrick and SZA for unspecified damages, along with an injunction prohibiting the use of her work to promote the Black Panther film.

Legal documents, dated Dec. 21, 2019, state all claims against Kendrick and SZA have been dismissed as part of the deal.

In a February interview with the New York Times, Viktor claimed she had been contacted by a Marvel set director, who asked to use her "Constellations" work in the superhero flick. Viktor said she rejected the request.

Though elements of her work were not featured in the Black Panther movie, the artist alleged that her work was illegally recreated for "All the Stars." Kendrick and SZA's legal team denied the allegations, and insisted the art featured in the video had no effect on the song's success.

Kendrick and SZA's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the suit back in July. The document states in part:

The details of the recent settlement have not been disclosed.

"All the Stars" is up for Best Original Song at the 2019 Golden Globes, as well as Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap/Sung Performance, and Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 2019 Grammys.