Karol G Sued Over Alleged Plagiarism of ‘Gatúbela’

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Karol G is back in the spotlight—if she ever really left. This time, it’s thanks to the buzz around her newly announced album Tropicoqueta. Just before that, the Bichota kicked off her bold new ‘orange era’ with the release of ‘Foreva Latina,’ a track inspired by iconic hits from the 2000s that helped shape Latin music on a global scale.

But beyond the excitement, La Bichota is also making headlines for a different reason—a lawsuit over alleged plagiarism tied to one of her most popular songs, ‘Gatúbela.’ The suit was filed in March by producers Ocean Vibes and Alfr3d Beats (real names Jack Hernández and Dick Alfredo Caballero Rodríguez). They claim ‘Gatúbela’ shares major similarities with their song ‘Punto G,’ which was released two months earlier.

In response, Karol G and Universal Music Group have flatly denied the accusations, releasing a statement on Tuesday, June 11. They argue that the musicology report cited in the lawsuit—which concludes the two songs are ‘extremely similar’—is biased and not credible.

“The defendants deny having interpolated, sampled, used, or copied the plaintiffs’ work,” Karol’s legal team stated. They also say they can provide proof that ‘Gatúbela’ was created independently—and even before ‘Punto G’ was released.

‘Gatúbela’ Vs. ‘Punto G’

Ocean Vibes and Afr3d Beats, the producers behind the claim, said they “immediately recognized” the similarities between their track and Karol G’s song ‘Gatúbela,’  featured on Mañana Será Bonito. “From any angle, ‘Gatúbela’ is a copy,” they stated.

As part of the legal documents submitted in March, they included screenshots of a conversation on social media between Rodríguez (one of the claimants) and DJ Maff, one of Karol G’s producers, discussing the alleged plagiarism.

In response, Karol G’s legal team acknowledged that DJ Maff had promoted ‘Gatúbela’ in an Instagram post dated August 26, 2022, and that he sarcastically replied to a comment in that post—something clearly visible in the screenshots. “Don’t tell anyone,” DJ Maff wrote, adding a laughing emoji. According to the plaintiffs, that comment was a surprising admission that the track had, in fact, been copied.

Chester R. Ostrowski, attorney for the plaintiffs, said the lawsuit “speaks for itself.” He added, “At the end of the day, we believe artists and producers deserve proper credit and compensation for the work they create. That’s all the plaintiffs are asking for, and they’re looking forward to having their day in court.”

That said, the case is still in its early stages. There’s more information to be gathered, and a potential settlement could still be on the table—although Universal remains confident the court will dismiss the case. Whether it moves forward to trial is something a judge will ultimately decide.