What do you do when someone you don’t like continues to play your song, even after you tell them to stop multiple times? Well, if you’re the estate of late singer Isaac Hayes, you sue them for millions of dollars.
Former President Donald Trump just added an extra legal battle to his toppling plate after the estate of Hayes announced its lawsuit against him on Aug. 11. The suit comes after years of threats against Trump to refrain from using “Hold on I’m Coming” written by Hayes in 1966. Clearly, the GOP nominee didn’t take the warnings seriously, and now it could cost him $3 million.
The Root previously covered Hayes’ family promising to take legal action against Trump, and just eight days after Isaac Hayes III took to X to call out the former president, the official lawsuit — citing 134 counts— was filed.
Hayes’ family isn’t playing either. The official lawsuit documents tell Trump to cease and desist from playing any songs by Hayes, release an official statement acknowledging the unauthorized use of the song, and pay up big time.
On X, Hayes III wrote “We demand the cessation of use, removal of all related videos, a public disclaimer, and payment of $3 million in licensing fees by August 16, 2024.” And if their demands aren’t met, further legal action will be taken.
To be fair, Trump was warned back in 2022 to stop playing Hayes’ song during his rallies. Hayes’ estate gave Trump not one... not two... but more than three different times to comply.
In a 2022 post, Hayes’ family tweeted their disapproval of the GOP candidate’s use of “Hold on I’m Coming” saying they “would NEVER approve” of Trump playing his music.
On Aug. 3, Hayes III wrote “Donald Trump represents the worst in honesty, integrity and class and want no association with his campaign of hate and racism.”
Then again on Aug. 10, the 16th anniversary of Hayes’ death, Hayes III took to X saying Trump used “Hold on I’m Coming” during his most recent rally in Montana.
The estate also made it clear in their lawsuit that $3 million payout is “a very discounted fee for the normal license fee associated with this many multiple uses.” According to the document, “The normal fee for these infringements will be 10 times as much if we litigate, starting at $150,000 per use.”
Hayes is not the first artist to disapprove of Trump using their music. If the former president continues on this rate, he’ll be running out of songs to use during his rallies before November comes.