Hip Hop Veterans Put YG Entertainment On Blast For Using Their Melody In BABYMONSTER’s Song
YG Entertainment is facing the heat after being publicly called out by Hip Hop legends on social media for alleged unfair use of their melody in a BABYMONSTER song.
Recently, the iconic Hip Hop trio J.J. Fad called out the K-Pop label through a TikTok video for using the melody of their song “Supersonic” in BABYMONSTER’s recent release, “HOT SAUCE.” Their official TikTok account posted a back-to-back comparison between the two songs, highlighting how it was an obvious interpolation.
Well well well pic.twitter.com/RnfqOJojX9
— mimi ⊹ ‧₊˚ ౨ৎ (@mickeykkuma) July 4, 2025
In popular music, interpolation refers to using a melody or portions of a melody from an older song and re-recording it in a new song instead of directly sampling it. Many K-Pop songs use this production method, with some popular examples being BLACKPINK interpolating Rihanna‘s “Pon de Replay” in “Pink Venom” and IVE doing the same with Donna Summer‘s “I Feel Love” in “After Like.”
So, the practice of interpolation is not alien to the music industry. However, to use a previously recorded melody in this way in a monetized release, labels are legally required to seek permission from the original artists and usually pay them a fee as well. According to J.J. Fad’s statement, YG Entertainment did neither.
We definitely are flattered that @babymonster_yg did an interpolation of Supersonic. The problem is they never asked for permission to use it, or paid for the usage! Better reach out soon or…
— J.J. Fad
The post has generated a significant buzz on social media, with international fans calling YG Entertainment’s actions problematic. Given the longstanding, controversial dynamic between the label and its continued appropriation of Black culture, this move hasn’t sat well with many fans.
expected from the company famous for creating niggaboos https://t.co/hKDnIdemg0
— ✩ (@mitskiadore) July 31, 2025
YG has a reputation of stealing from black culture and they require at least one artist from each of their groups to either say the nword or imitate black ppl to get into the company so this isn't much of a surprise. https://t.co/terYx4Ban7
— Riji's ECHO⁷ (@3D2Y47) July 31, 2025
more Korean companies stealing from black artists and no one is doing shit about it https://t.co/H7y6bBIKJr
— oo (@vibingnthewind) July 31, 2025
so you're telling me the sky is blue, the grass is green, yg (and a whole lot of other kpop companies too) stole from black artists without any credit???? https://t.co/LjqxF6Y4BX pic.twitter.com/B5vdjPzASj
— 🥤🍏 (@redvelvetfang) July 31, 2025
YG Entertainment has not addressed the issue as of yet.
