Famous singer Rick Astley is suing up-and-coming rapper Yung Gravy for allegedly impersonating his voice from the 1987 hit song “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
Astley filed legal documents in Los Angeles court on Thursday claiming that Yung Gravy’s song “Betty (Get Money)” includes an impersonated version of his voice, according to TMZ. Astley alleged that Yung Gravy and his producers “conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice throughout the song,” according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
Rick Astley files multimillion-dollar suit against Yung Gravy https://t.co/beNyFZ1ND0
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) January 27, 2023
The famous singer named Yung Gravy’s producer Dillon Francis and vocal impersonator Nick Seeley in his lawsuit, among others, according to TMZ. He said he never gave Yung Gravy or anyone associated with the production of “Betty (Get Money)” permission to use or impersonate his voice. Astley made it clear that by moving forward without his consent, Yung Gravy destroyed any chances of collaborating with him in the future, according to TMZ.
Yung Gravy and his camp did obtain the license to use instrumentals from Astley’s hit song, but didn’t secure consent to use the vocals that they allegedly included in the rap song, according to TMZ. (RELATED: Justin Bieber Sells Rights To His Entire Catalogue For Staggering Figure)
Rick Astley is suing Yung Gravy over his hit “Betty (Get Money)” for its interpolation of “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
He alleges that the rapper’s vocals sound a bit too much like his own iconic croon: https://t.co/LRPimASsbo pic.twitter.com/gJngUtvHzO
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) January 27, 2023
Astley’s legal filing also included references to other cases in which Yung Gravy allegedly referenced having “basically remade” Astley’s voice “because it [made] it easier legally,” according to TMZ.
“Never Gonna Give You Up,” and “Betty” have both been hit songs for the respective artists.
The exact dollar figure Astley’s lawsuit is demanding has not yet been disclosed, but it is believed to be in the millions, according to TMZ.