According to music forensic expert Brian McBrearty, Lil Uzi Vert’s “Just Wanna Rock” is almost entirely similar to the song “Pain and Pleasure.” Cried Rawyal is demanding $110 million in damages.
Lil Uzi Vert is being sued for $110 million in damages for allegedly stealing a song. Rief Rawyal claims “Just Wanna Rock” is a copy of his track “Pleasure and Pain” and has filed a lawsuit against Lil Uzi Vert, Atlantic Records, Generation Now, Roc Nation and Warner Music Group. “Just Wanna Rock” became a hit in 2022.
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Lyrics and beats extremely similar
The musician Rawyal, whose real name is Sharrief K. Bouchet, has called in music forensic expert Brian McBrearty. According to the lawsuit, he found that the two songs were 93 to 97 percent similar, reports “hiphop.de”. The hook, melody and the overarching motif of the single are particularly similar. The lyrics also show parallels: In “Pain and Pleasure” Rawyal sings “Pain and pleasure when I rock, ah, ah,” while Uzi intones “I just want to rock, ah, ah, ah, ah” in his version. McBrearty concluded that these passages formed “the core or heart of the respective works.”
In addition, both tracks are “in the core area of Allegro”, which corresponds to 130 to 150 beats per minute. They would also have the same drum pattern and rhythmic syncopation called “Tresillo”.
Listen to “Just Wanna Rock” here:
For comparison, listen to “Pleasure and Pain” here:
Rawyal had sent his material to Atlantic Records
But how did Lil Uzi Vert get hold of the song by the previously unknown artist Rawyal? According to the lawsuit, he was in close contact with Lanre Gaba, president of the hip-hop, R&B and global music division at Atlantic Records. Rawyal claims to have provided Gaba with his songs, demos and other works. He suspects that this is how Lil Uzi and his team got their hands on the track.
Original suppressed on streaming platforms?
Rawyal’s allegations go even further: his version of the track was suppressed on meta platforms after its release in August 2022, after Lil Uzi Vert’s album, which features “Just Wanna Rock,” was released in October of the same year, Hot New Hip Hop reports. The artist claims his uploads were repeatedly muted or removed from Instagram and Facebook as “Just Wanna Rock” gained popularity on TikTok, Fortnite and in the trailer for the movie “Blue Beetle.”
Interim injunction and damages demanded
Rawyal is now demanding over $110 million in damages. He justifies this with lost streaming revenue, synchronization and licensing contracts and damage to reputation. According to “Hot New Hip Hop,” the lawsuit also retroactively demands naming as the author, a share in the ownership share, and an injunction to stop any further use of the song.
The former Jive Records artist and US Navy veteran said he had hoped that “Pain and Pleasure” would mark his comeback after years of absence from the music scene.