Roddy Ricch emerged victorious in the copyright infringement lawsuit involving his 2019 hit “The Box” and Greg Perry’s 1975 cut “Come on Down.”
As per Rolling Stone, US District Judge Analisa Torres ruled that “no reasonable jury could find that the works are substantially similar,” and that the musical composition of Perry’s track “is a soul song that contains a melodic tune, while ‘The Box’ is a hip-hop song delivered in a monotone rap.” Judge Torres added in her eight-page ruling that the beats per minute (BPMs) of “Come on Down” and “The Box” are vastly different at 96 BPM and 58 BPM, respectively, and that the former heavily features acoustic instruments while the latter utilizes a synthesizer.
There’s also the matter of the “feel” of the two songs; the judge described “Come on Down” as “a sentimental song about ‘love and heartbreak,’ while ‘The Box’ is a braggadocious song about amassing wealth, sleeping with multiple women, and being more skilled than other rappers.”
“In light of the significant dissimilarities, no average lay observer listening to the songs would regard the aesthetic appeal as the same,” Judge Torres wrote. “Plaintiff has failed to demonstrate that defendants copied any protectable portion of the musical composition.”
