Reports indicate that Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Metro Boomin are the subjects of a new lawsuit stemming from unpaid royalties regarding a sample that was used on the Drake diss track. The lawsuit was filed by Rodney O, who claims his song “Everlasting Bass” was misused. The rapper is also suing the Barry White estate, who’s featured in a sample for the “Like That” remix with Kanye West. Furthermore, Rodney claims that he was never given songwriters’ credit for the song, even after it was submitted for the 2025 Grammy Awards, and that he was never provided the version that contained Lamar’s brawling verse.
A rep for Metro Boomin voiced to TMZ that they never cleared the rights to the sample and instead compensated Rodney $50,000. The representative added that Rodney’s lawsuit should be directed solely at Barry White’s estate—not the artists—as any delay in royalty payments may stem from the estate’s ties to Epic Records. The Barry White Estate has yet to respond to the legal motion.
Rodney O’ Was Surprised to Learn Kendrick Was on the Track
Last year, Rodney O’ discussed his view on the sample’s clearance. In an interview with Vibe, he said, “It is crazy because the song was big when it came out and for it to be even bigger now all these years later, it’s crazy. I heard the song, I knew it was good, but when it comes out and the world hears it how you hear it and react to it the way you reacted to it, that’s confirmation.” “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.’”
Additionally, his claims of not completely hearing the song are presumably true. He stated, “Somebody called me the day before it came out and said, ‘Hey man, I got some news for you…I actually heard Kendrick is on that record.’” “And I was like, “No, Kendrick ain’t on that record because I have it. Songs now they’ll be two minutes and 30 seconds, so when I heard it, I’m like, ‘That’s the whole song.’ So I said, ‘He might be on a remix or something like that,’ that’s what I’m thinking.”
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