Legendary Ghanaian rapper, Obrafour is dragging Drake to court with a copyright claim.
According to a court document that has surfaced online, the Ghanaian rapper is suing Drake for $10 million for sampling his ‘Oye Ohene’ Remix on his track ‘Calling My Name’ without his permission.
“Today, @iamobrafour sued @Drake for copyright infringement for sampling “Oye Ohene (Remix)” in the track “Calling My Name,” said American lawyer Rob Freund, who broke the news.
“Obrafour says Drake’ previously sought permission to use the work, didn’t get it, and released the track days later anyway,” he added, sharing the legal documents addressed to the Southern District Court of New York.
Excerpts from Obrafour’s suit “On June 13, 2022, Obrafour had not yet responded to the June 8, 2022 Clearance Email, and Mannis-Gardner sent Obrafour a follow-up email simply stating, ‘Hi confirming you received this email thanks (sic)'” (the “June 13, 2022 Clearance Email”). The date is June 13, 2022.
Clearance EXHIBIT D. 39 is an email attachment. Only hours later, on June 17, 2022, Defendants Drake, OVO, Republic, and Universal released a fourteen-song studio album titled “Honestly, Nevermind” by Drake.
The album was announced on social media by Drake and OVO. Drake, OVO, Republic, and Universal released “Honestly, Nevermind” in accordance with an increasingly popular surprise model for high-profile commercial album releases, in which an album is released unexpectedly. That is, with little or no notice or promotion to the general public. This “surprising”
Today, @iamobrafour sued @Drake for copyright infringement for sampling "Oye Ohene (Remix)" in the track "Calling My Name."
Obrafour says Drake' previously sought permission to use the work, didn't get it, and released the track days later anyway. pic.twitter.com/JUptMETC76
— Rob Freund (@RobertFreundLaw) April 19, 2023
Drake’s representatives have yet to respond to the suit. Apart from the court documents that have surfaced online, Obrafour has remained silent about the suit.
