Drake is facing a refiled lawsuit that alleges his 2018 hits, “In My feelings” and “Nice For What” featured an illegal sample of a New Orleans artist’s instrumental beat.
In a complaint filed on Wednesday (March 3) in Louisiana federal court, Samuel Nicholas said the New Orleans “bounce” sound of the two Drake songs was supplied by “directly copying” his 2000 track “Roll Call (Instrumental).”
Nicholas’ earlier two suits that made the same accusations were dismissed because he failed to actually litigate them.
Like the previous lawsuits, the new one claims that Nicholas’ copyrighted song was sampled and added to Drake’s songs by producer BlaqNmilD, whose real name is Adam J. Pigott. It also claims that the producer also added the same illegal sample to several other bounce songs he worked on for other artists.
In his lawsuits, Nicholas claims he has direct evidence that BlaqNmilD used his song, thanks to YouTube videos and a reality TV show in which the producer explained his process.
In a statement to Billboard, reps for BlaqNmilD said both Pigott and Nicholas had actually used the same sample from a 1986 record by legendary Queens hip-hop duo The Showboys.
“It is this song, ‘Drag Rap (Triggerman),’ that Adam had indeed sampled for the compositions in question,” said Craig E. Baylis, BlaqNmilD’s manager. “The Showboys will attest that Adam ensured that they were contacted for all proper clearances. Our question is, has the plaintiff done the same?”
(Photo: Republic Records)
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