Cardi B Wins Lawsuit Over 'Enough (Miami)': Judge Dismisses Plagiarism Claims

A federal judge in Texas dismissed the copyright infringement lawsuit against Cardi B, which alleged that her hit 'Enough (Miami)' plagiarized the song 'Greasy Frybread' from the series 'Reservation Dogs'. Plaintiffs Joshua Fraustro and Miguel Aguilar, known as the production duo Kemika1956, initiated the lawsuit nearly two years ago. They claimed that Cardi B violated copyright by 'reproducing, distributing, and publicly performing the infringing work' without permission. They later amended their complaint to include additional claims, such as defamation.

Cardi B challenged the lawsuit on several grounds, including her argument that 'Greasy Frybread' was not protected by copyright. Her lawyers noted that the plaintiffs initially filed a federal copyright infringement claim but later switched to Texas law. 'It appears this was done because [the plaintiffs] belatedly realized – after [Cardi's] counsel brought it to their attention – that they lacked a copyright registration,' Cardi B's lawyers wrote in a dismissal motion filed in September 2024.

Judge Fernando Rodriguez concluded that Fraustro and Aguilar’s state court claims were preempted by federal Copyright law. The judge ruled that the duo did not have jurisdiction over Cardi B in Texas to take advantage of any of the state laws and that giving them another chance to amend their complaint would be 'futile'. Fraustro and Aguilar argued that Cardi B, born Belcalis Almánzar, performed multiple shows in Texas. However, the judge found that those appearances were no different from her performances in other states and therefore insufficient to establish general jurisdiction.

Furthermore, even if personal jurisdiction existed, each of the plaintiffs’ causes of action would be subject to dismissal for failing to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, the judge wrote. Cardi B's lawyer, Lisa F. Moore, expressed satisfaction with the court's decision.

Cardi B has accumulated a series of legal victories, including the rejection of an assault lawsuit filed by a security guard, a $4 million jury verdict against gossip vlogger Latasha Kebe (Tasha K), and the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit in New York. She also won a federal trial in California where she was accused of using a portion of a man’s back tattoo on the cover of her mixtape 'Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1'.

In 2021, Kemika1956 released the song 'Greasy Frybread' with Sten Joddi, the actor who played rapper Punkin’ Lusty on 'Reservation Dogs'. The track has notched over 920,000 views on FX Networks’ YouTube. Cardi B’s 'Enough (Miami)', her first single as a solo artist and sans guests since 2021, has 78 million views on YouTube and reached Number Nine on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also named one of Rolling Stone’s Best Songs of 2024.