Colombian artist Karol G is at the center of a copyright dispute involving her hit track “Gatúbela,” from the acclaimed album Mañana Será Bonito. A lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Miami by producers Jack Hernandez (Ocean Vibes) and Dick Alfredo Caballero Rodriguez (Alfr3d Beats), who allege that significant elements of their song “Punto G” were appropriated in Karol G’s work.

Details of the Lawsuit

The complaint, lodged on Wednesday, claims that Karol G, along with her co-writers, allegedly copied crucial components from “Punto G,” which was released just weeks prior to “Gatúbela.” Hernandez and Rodriguez assert, “By every method of analysis, Gatúbela is a forgery,” arguing that the similarities between the two songs penetrate beyond superficial aspects and go to the essence of both compositions.

Success of Mañana Será Bonito

Released in February 2023, Mañana Será Bonito enjoyed substantial accolades, capturing the Album of the Year award at the Latin Grammy Awards and marking a significant milestone as the first all-Spanish language album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200 chart. “Gatúbela” itself achieved impressive chart success, peaking at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Expert Analysis and Acknowledgment

The plaintiffs claim that they recognized the similarities almost immediately. They later consulted a musicologist who confirmed that the synthesizer riff and vocal melody from “Gatúbela” closely resemble elements from “Punto G.” The expert reportedly stated that the degree of similarity found is “one we almost never see.”

Claims of Acknowledgment by a Collaborator

In an unusual twist to the case, the lawsuit includes claims that one of the producers associated with “Gatúbela,” DJ Maff (Marvin Hawkins Rodriguez), allegedly conceded to the similarities in a private Instagram conversation. Screenshots of this interaction are cited, wherein the music producer reportedly responded to Rodriguez’s confrontations with a flippant, “no le digas a nadie” (translated as “don’t tell anybody”), accompanied by a laughing emoji. The lawsuit suggests this was an effort by DJ Maff to obscure his admission, as he allegedly deleted the exchange shortly thereafter.

Response from Representatives

As of now, representatives for both Karol G and Universal Music Group (UMG) have not publicly commented on the lawsuit.