Drake And Chris Brown Sued For $5 Million Over Song Theft Allegations

Drake and Chris Brown were one of the most notable feuds of the 2010s. Nobody expected them to come together for a smash single in 2019, and yet they did. “No Guidance” was everywhere that year, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a comeback of sorts for Brown, and a cherry on top of Drake’s dominant decade. Now, however, “No Guidance” has both artists in legal trouble. They are among the people named in a new lawsuit by Tykeiya Dore. The singer alleges that they stole the basic melody and structure of her song.

Tykeiya Dore filed the lawsuit in New Jersey on October 25. AllHipHop reports that the lawsuit cites copyright infringement over the 2016 song “I Got It.” Dore alleges that Drake and Chris Brown stole the “chord progressions, tempo, pitch, key, melody, harmony, rhythm, structure, phrasing, and lyrics” of their song, which released three years prior. She also points to frequent Drake collaborator, Vinylz, to support her case. Benji Filmz directed the “I Got It” music video for Dore. She claims that Vinylz often keeps tabs on Benji’s YouTube account.

“Defendant Anderson Hernandez, professionally known as Vinylz,” the lawsuit alleged. “Discovered and obtained access to Tykeiya’s song ‘I Got It’ and Cardi B’s songs on Benji Filmz YouTube channel.” The suit also names YouTube and Google as involved parties. Tykeiya Dore claims that her lawyer, Marc Stephens, also uploaded a copyright comparison video between “I Got It” and “No Guidance.” She then claimed that the video was wrongfully taken down. The singer is suing YouTube and Google for “defamation, common law fraud and emotional distress.” She’s seeking $5 million.

Drake and Chris Brown have dealt with these accusations in the past, however. Braindon Cooper Timothy Valentine sued the two artists, along with Noah “40” Shebib, for allegedly ripping off their 2016 single “I Love Your Dress.” Drake and Chris Brown dismissed the allegations outright. They issued a statement in which they noted that they are unable to scan millions of songs in order to commit such a theft. “It is implausible to assume that every musician in Toronto collaborates and shares music with Drake,” the statement read.” Drake and Chris Brown have to respond to the new lawsuit.