Yung Gravy is getting a legal Rick-rolling from the man himself … Rick Astley is suing the up-and-coming rapper for allegedly ripping off the singer’s voice from his most popular hit.
Astley filed legal docs Thursday in L.A. claiming Gravy’s hugely popular “Betty (Get Money)” uses an impersonated version of his own voice from 1987’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Astley says Gravy and his producers — including Dillon Francis — “conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice throughout the song.” He’s also suing Nick Seeley (aka Popnick), the vocal impersonator.
Astley says he never gave Gravy, or anyone involved in “Betty (Get Money),” permission to use or impersonate his voice — and because Gravy did so, he’s spoiled any future chance for Rick to collaborate with another artist in the future.
We should say, however, Gravy did license the instrumental from Astley’s ’80s hit … just not his voice.
What’s more … Astley’s lawsuit points to some examples where Gravy allegedly claimed he knew he was in murky territory for impersonating Rick, including an interview with Billboard where he said he “basically remade” Rick’s voice, “because it makes it easier legally.”
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
“Never Gonna Give You Up” was a huge hit for Astley, shooting to the #1 spot. “Betty” has been Gravy’s most successful song thus far — reaching Gold in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
Astley is suing for millions of dollars.
Getty Images On Tuesday morning, Kerry Washington hit the 2024 ABC Upfront to talk about… Read More
Hailey Bieber is showing off her baby bump loud and proud after announcing she's expecting… Read More
Getty Images “Beef” star Maria Bello is married! Over the weekend, Maria tied the knot… Read More
King Charles proudly unveiled the first official portrait of himself since his coronation last year… Read More
Getty Images On Tuesday morning, Quinta Brunson hit the ABC Upfronts to promote her hit… Read More
Play video content Celina Powell's storied dating history just added another layer and another body… Read More