Ghanaian hip-life artist Obrafour has taken legal action against Canadian rapper Drake for alleged copyright infringement.
The lawsuit arises from Drake’s use of a sample from Obrafour’s song “Oye Ohene (Remix)” in his track “Calling My Name.” Despite being denied permission by Obrafour and his team, Drake still used the sample, causing damage to Obrafour’s reputation and potential financial loss in royalties.
Obrafour’s lawyers are seeking “at least $10 million in damages” in the Southern District of New York, asking the court to enter into judgment that Drake “willfully infringed Obrafour’s Copyrighted Work in violation of the Copyright Act” and other reliefs.
This lawsuit adds Drake to the list of Hollywood artists facing similar lawsuits for unauthorized use of samples. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for the music industry on how to obtain proper clearance before using copyrighted material.