Obrafour, the Ghanaian rapper, has sued Drake over alleged copyright infringement.
In the lawsuit filed on Tuesday in the US district court for the southern district of New York, Obrafour argued that Drake sampled the remix of his 2003 song ‘Oye Ohene’ in ‘Calling My Name,’ the Canadian rapper’s recent hit, without his consent.
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
Advertisement— Rob Freund (@RobertFreundLaw) April 19, 2023
According to the suit, Drake had emailed Obrafour, seeking permission to sample the song but received no response.
The suit added that Drake went ahead to use the sample in the song which was included in his latest album ‘Honestly, Nevermind’.
“Obrafour had not yet responded to the June 8, 2022 Clearance Email or the follow-up June 13, 2022 Clearance Email at the point when Drake’s “Honestly, Nevermind” album was released on June 17, 2022. Nonetheless, the Infringing Work is one of the songs appearing on the “Honestly, Nevermind” album, as released to the world by ‘surprise’ on June 17, 2022,” the suit reads.
Obrafour is asking for $10,000,000 as compensation.
The rapper also seeks preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, monetary damages, and other economic relief.
The suit claims that Obrafour is entitled to actual damages, profits — directly and indirectly — attributable to Drake’s alleged infringing conduct, and statutory damages under the Copyright Act of up to $150,000 per infringement.
“Obrafour sues for copyright infringement under the Copyright Act, and seeks all remedies afforded to him thereunder, including preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, monetary damages, including but not limited to, actual damages, profits directly and indirectly attributable to from Defendants’ infringing conduct, statutory damages under the Copyright Act in the sum of up to $150,000.00 per infringement where such infringement commenced after the Copyrighted Work was registered with the United States Copyright Office, and other economic relief,” part of the suit read.
Obrafour rose to fame in 1999 after releasing his debut solo album ‘Pae Mu Ka’.
He is also known for his socially conscious lyrics, which address societal issues in Ghana.
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