Rick Astley is coming in hot with a legal rick-roll against rising rapper Yung Gravy.
As per TMZ, the ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ singer has filed a lawsuit against Gravy and his producers, claiming they used an imitation of his voice in ‘Betty (Get Money)’ without his permission.
In the legal documents filed in Los Angeles yesterday, Astley claims that ‘Betty (Get Money)’ uses an impersonated version of his own iconic vocals from ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’.
According to the British singer, Gravy and his producers conspired to use this voice without his knowledge, which could potentially ruin any future chance of collaboration with another artist.
As the documents state, Gravy and his producers “conspired to include a deliberate and newly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice throughout the song.” Astley is also reportedly suing Nick Seeley (aka Popnick), the vocal impersonator from Gravy’s song.
It should be noted that the lawsuit comes in spite of Gravy and his producers actually licensing the instrumental from Astley’s iconic pop anthem.
You can listen to both songs below and consider if Astley has a case. Astley is reportedly suing the rapper and his team for millions of dollars. More on this to come.
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‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ was a massive hit for Astley, and one of the defining songs of the ’80s. It initially topped the charts in the U.K., becoming the biggest song of 1987. ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ would eventually reach the top spot around the world, including in West Germany and the U.S.. The song famously underwent a renaissance in the 21st century thanks to the ‘Rickrolling’ meme.
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Check out ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ by Rick Astley:
Check out ‘Betty (Get Money)’ by Yung Gravy:
