Rick Astley Sues Yung Gravy For Imitating His Voice On “Betty (Get Money)”
Rick “Never Gonna Give You Up” Astley is suing Yung Gravy for allegedly ripping off his vocals. According to TMZ, Astley filed a lawsuit on Thursday in Los Angeles accusing Gravy’s Billboard Hot 100 single “Betty (Get Money)” of using an impersonated version of his voice from the 1987 hit.
Astley also claims that Gravy and his producers — which include Dillon Francis — “conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice throughout the song.” Astley is also suing producer Nick Seeley (aka Popnick), who impersonated the vocal.
As TMZ notes, Gravy did license the instrumental portion of “Never Gonna Give You Up” — just not Astley’s voice. Astley’s lawsuit also cites a Billboard interview with Gravy, noting how Gravy admits he “basically remade” Rick’s voice, “because it makes it easier legally.”
No exact figure is given, but TMZ says Astley is suing for “millions.”