(The Root) — Between his YouTube and Twitter pages (@hotdamnirock on each), Kain Carter has hundreds of thousands of fans and followers. Too bad the material used to win them all was stolen from the late comic Patrice O'Neal.
People on Twitter caught wind of Carter's fraud via this YouTube video making the rounds on social media. (Note: Contains explicit language.) The video contains audio and video clips of Patrice O'Neal's work played immediately before some of Carter's videos, which often contain O'Neal's routines word for word.
In the midst of the controversy, Carter made an attempt to save his behind by making a video claiming that in reproducing the late comic's material without credit or permission, he sought only to "keep the material alive." What a pretty sentiment. An immoral, reprehensible, illegal pretty sentiment.
News of Carter's line crossing reached O'Neal's camp, including his widow, and they retweeted several people condemning Carter for what he did. There's no word yet on whether O'Neal's estate will be pursuing legal action, but you can bet that with more than 95 million YouTube views, Carter might owe someone a dollar or two.
Check out some of Twitter's head shaking below.
Tracy Clayton is a writer, humorist and blogger from Louisville, Ky.