Bad Bunny sued for $16M over unauthorized voice recording

Allegedly Bad Bunny sampled a women’s voice without her permission on his two hit songs.

Bad Bunny has been sued by Tainaly Serrano Rivera, who alleges that the Puerto Rican megastar sampled her voice on two of his tracks without her permission. According to the lawsuit filed on Monday, January 5, Rivera’s voice was purportedly used on the song “Solo de Mí,” from Bad Bunny’s 2018 debut album X 100pre, and the track “EoO” from his most recent studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos.

Rivera claims she never authorized the use of her voice on either track and is subsequently seeking $16 million in damages. The sample in question reportedly features Rivera speaking in Spanish, stating, “Mira, puñeta, no me quiten el perreo,” which translates roughly in Puerto Rican slang to, “Listen, damn it, don’t take away my vibe.”

Rivera confirmed it is her voice and admits she recorded the phrase in 2018 at the request of Bad Bunny’s producer, La Paciencia, with whom she attended college. The lawsuit alleges that, at the time, it was never explained how the audio would be utilized, “nor was the plaintiff informed that her identity would be used and commercially exploited.”

The filing further claims that no compensation was ever discussed, nor was Rivera provided with a contract or agreement to authorize the recordings. Consequently, she is suing Bad Bunny, La Paciencia, and his record label, Rimas Entertainment, for $16 million, citing damages and violations of Puerto Rico’s right of publicity statute.

Both songs were featured during Bad Bunny’s record-breaking residency in San Juan last year and reached the Billboard Hot 100 upon their respective releases. Legal representatives for Bad Bunny, La Paciencia, and Rimas Entertainment have not yet commented on the allegations.

Rivera is being represented by attorneys Jose Marxuach Fagot and Joanna Bocanegra Ocasio. This is the same legal team that sued Bad Bunny in 2023 in a similar case, where he was accused of allegedly recording the voice of his ex-girlfriend for the tracks “Pa’ Ti” and “Dos Mil 16” without her consent. More information on the case is expected to surface in the coming days.

Featured Image // Spotify // Bad Bunny

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Kathryn Allyn

My favorite thing in the whole world is music and after hearing “One” by Swedish House Mafia for the first time in 2014, I was hooked on EDM. Dance music has been a large part of who I am and will always be searching for new ways to incorporate it in my life. The pure bliss that I feel from live shows is a feeling I never want to stop chasing (iykyk). Some of my favorite artists include Flume, Rüfüs Du Sol, Mindchatter, Gorgon City, Prospa 🙂

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