Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar are facing a lawsuit over unpaid royalties linked to their hit song ‘Like That’.
Rodney O, the rapper behind the 1988 song ‘Everlasting Bass’, claims the track used a sample from his work without proper clearance and without paying him what he is owed.
Rodney O says he was not paid royalties for using the sample and did not receive the final version of the song that included Kendrick Lamar’s verse, which became the center of a major rap feud with Drake and J. Cole. He also says he was left off the songwriting credits when the song was submitted to the Grammys.
The lawsuit also targets Barry White’s estate. Kanye West’s remix of ‘Like That’ includes a sample from one of White’s songs. Rodney says this sample was not properly cleared either.
Metro Boomin’s team says they cleared the sample and paid Rodney O $50,000. They claim the real issue may be with Barry White’s estate, which they believe could be blocking royalty payments through their relationship with Epic Records.
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Rodney says he has cleared samples for other artists in the past and has always been given the final version to review before release. He says that did not happen this time. He claims someone told him the day before the song dropped that Kendrick Lamar was on the track, but he thought that was not possible since he had already received what he believed was the full version.
“Every song that I’ve cleared, they’ve sent it to me prior, and I’ve been able to check it out. A lot of people have used the same sample in the past, but when I heard [‘Like That’], I was like ‘they totally demolished it,” he said while reminiscing about when he heard the tune.
He later realized the version he received did not include Lamar’s verse, which was the part that went viral and sparked attention.
Rodney says he does not have a personal problem with Kendrick, Metro or Future, but feels disrespected by how the situation was handled.
He also says Epic Records reached out to discuss a deal, but never secured full clearance for the version of the song that became popular.
Rodney believes they pushed the track without even asking if he had any ties to Drake, who was directly dissed in the lyrics.
