Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s video for the Black Panther soundtrack highlight “All The Stars” is visually impressive, but British-Liberian artist and painter Lina Iris Viktor wasn’t too thrilled about it. Back in February, Viktor sued for copyright infringement, but now Pitchfork reports that as of December 21, Lamar and SZA have settled with Viktor and the lawsuit has been dismissed, according to court documents.
Before initially suing, Viktor’s lawyer, Christopher Robinson, sent a letter to Top Dawg Entertainment CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith which read in part, “The infringement of Ms. Viktor’s rights is willful and egregious. […] [The video] incorporates not just the immediately-identifiable and unique look of her work, but also many of the specific copyrightable elements in the ‘Constellations’ series of paintings, including stylized motifs of mythical animals, gilded geometric forms on a black background, and distinctively textured areas and patterns, arrayed in a grid-like arrangement of forms.”
Viktor was suing for damages and also sought an injunction to stop Lamar and SZA from using her artwork for promotional purposes. After suing in February, Robinson’s lawyer said, “We tried to resolve this without litigation. Now that we are in court, we are confident that Ms. Viktor will prevail.” Viktor also wrote in a Facebook post at the time, “Feel reassured — I am seeking justice.”
As for “All The Stars,” the song was well-represented when the list of 2019 Grammy nominees was announced earlier this month. The single was nominated for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Song Written For Visual Media, and Best Rap/Sung Performance. Those nominations, along with others, made Lamar the most nominated artist of the year, with eight total nods. The song also got an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
