April 2, 2026, 8:39 a.m. ET
A federal judge said “enough” this week in a lawsuit against rapper Cardi B.
On Monday, March 30, a judge in Texas reportedly dismissed a $50 million copyright infringement lawsuit against the “Bodak Yellow” singer. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez dropped the suit without prejudice, according to People and Rolling Stone.
The suit, brought by music producers Joshua Fraustro and Miguel Aguilar, who form the duo Kemika1956, alleged that Cardi B’s song “Enough (Miami)” ripped off their tune “Greasy Frybread,” which was featured in the FX series “Reservation Dogs.” Cardi B, whose legal name is Belcalis Almánzar, challenged the suit, arguing that “Frybread” was not protected by copyright, People and Rolling Stone report.
Rodriguez dismissed the case on Monday, writing in his order that the production artists’ claims that the several shows Cardi B played in Texas were not sufficient evidence for the claim to be filed in the state, according to the outlets.
“Obviously, we are very pleased with today’s order and appreciate the court’s careful consideration of the issues,” Cardi B’s lawyer, Lisa F. Moore, said in a statement to Rolling Stone. Robert R. Flores, the lawyer for Kemika1956, said in a statement to People that the dismissal was a mere setback, but not the end of the legal fight for his clients.
“The court did not reach or decide the underlying issue of whether our clients’ musical work was unlawfully used,” Flores said. “Our clients have since secured a federal copyright registration, and we are evaluating next steps, including refiling the case in an appropriate forum. The claims remain very much alive, and we intend to pursue them. Out of respect for the ongoing litigation process, we won’t be commenting further at this time.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Flores and a rep for Cardi B for comment.
Cardi B is in the midst of a major tour across North America in support of her November album “Am I the Drama?” She’s also gearing up for the release of a new hair care line called Grow Good, set for April.
