Ozzy Osbourne Considers Legal Action Against Antisemitic Kanye West for Using a Sample of ‘Iron Man'

Ozzy Osbourne recently criticized Kanye West on social media, alleging that the rapper utilized a Black Sabbath song recording without his consent and against his wishes. Ultimately, West released the Vultures song Carnival without the sample. According to the New York Post, Sharon Osbourne has now, stepped in to support her husband. A rep for Sharon said, “We are considering legal action." The representative further mentioned that Ozzy hasn't directly communicated with West, but their respective teams have been in contact. Additionally, Sharon, who has a Jewish upbringing, purportedly spoke about the matter.

She said, “Kanye f–ked with the wrong Jew this time.” She also asserted that West's team requested permission to use Iron Man from Ozzy three weeks ago. To this, the couple allegedly replied, “Absolutely not.” Moreover, Ozzy also denounced West on social media, citing their refusal to grant permission based on his antisemitic views. On X, Ozzy wrote, "@KANYEWEST ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A SECTION OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “IRON MAN” FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS & WAS REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY."

Ozzy further added, "HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM LISTENING PARTY LAST NIGHT. I WANT NO ASSOCIATION WITH THIS MAN!" Meanwhile, towards the end of 2022, West unleashed a string of public antisemitic rants and offensive posts, leading to his social media accounts being blocked and significant partnerships with brands like Adidas and Balenciaga being terminated. Business Insider also reported that Adidas, which had collaborated with West on Yeezy sneakers, has now ended their partnership. In December 2023, approximately 14 months after his initial antisemitic outburst on X, West issued an apology statement, expressing his commitment to making amends and learning from the incident.

Despite West's apology, his unauthorized sampling of Ozzy's music without consent has intensified the controversy surrounding him. Moreover, Ozzy isn't the only one raising objections to West's recent music endeavors. According to USA Today, on Instagram, Donna Summer's estate accused West of sampling her 1977 hit I Feel Love without permission in his track GOOD (DON'T DIE) from the album Vultures. The estate claimed in an Instagram Story, which has since expired, that West initially sought permission to use the track, but it was denied. Subsequently, he allegedly altered the lyrics, had someone else re-record them, or used AI technology.

Yet, it remains uncertain if Summer's estate is contemplating legal action against West in this instance. On the other hand, Ozzy frequently grants permission for other artists to sample his music. However, Sharon said, “But the simple thing is, we don’t want to be associated with a hater." Conversely, during the last Halloween festivities, Ozzy and Sharon donned costumes mimicking West and his wife, Bianca Censori. Ozzy sported an all-black ensemble reminiscent of West's style, while Sharon creatively covered her chest with a purple pillow, just like Censori's past fashion choices.