The rapper is said to have imitated Astley’s voice without permission on his track “Betty (Get Money)”.
Rick Astley filed a lawsuit against Yung Gravy back in January 2023. The rapper is said to have imitated the British singer’s voice – without permission – on his 2022 single “Betty (Get Money)”. On Tuesday (September 26), Yung Gravy’s attorney reportedly filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court stating that the case was settled on September 22. However, no conditions were mentioned that led to the agreement.
The rapper, whose real name is Matthew Hauri, sampled Astley’s hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” from 1987 on the song in question. However, he not only adopted the melody and the lyrics, but also tried to use the distinctive voice of the original artist.
The original lawsuit claims that only the instrumental parts of the song were licensed. However, when it came to timbre, Yung Gravy and his producers – including Dillon Francis – “allegedly conspired to incorporate a deliberate and almost indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice into the song,” the documents say. Therefore, Astley sued not only the rapper and his music producers, but also the singing impersonator Nick Seeley (aka Popnick), for violation of his right of publication, misrepresentation and unfair competition. As can be read in the lawsuit, the 57-year-old is also said to have commented on a planned project with another artist to whom he wanted to lend his voice. This plan is now ruined, it goes on to say.
“Betty (Get Money)” is Yung Gravy’s most successful song to date. It sold over a million copies and reached number 30 in the US singles charts. It was also certified gold in Canada and triple platinum in Australia. The musician’s fifth studio album, BABY GRAVY 3, was released on August 25, 2023.