Rick Astley Settles Suit Against Rapper Yung Gravy Over Voice Imitation – Update

UPDATED, 11:25 AM: Rick Astley has settled his right-of-publicity suit against “Betty (Get Money)” rapper Yung Gravy over a song that the British singer claimed borrowed heavily from his signature 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

The rapper’s attorney filed court papers Tuesday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elaine Mandel stating that the case was resolved Friday, but no terms were divulged. Read details of the case and check out the “Betty (Get Money)” video below.

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PREVIOUSY, January 26: Rick Astley, whose 1987 worldwide hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” is an enduring cultural landmark, has sued rapper Yung Gravy. Astley’s multimillion dollar lawsuit claims that use of an imitation of his voice on the single “Betty (Get Money)” was not authorized.

Astley filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles. The suit claims only the instrumentals on the song were licensed, and that Astley’s distinctive voice is a resource that needs to be carefully managed.

The legal papers claim Yung Gravy (real name Matthew Hauri) and his producers, including Dillon Francis, “conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice throughout the song.” He’s also suing Nick Seeley (aka Popnick), the vocal impersonator.

Astley claims permission was never granted to use or impersonate his voice. The legal documents claim Astley was looking for a way to incorporate his voice in a future project in collaboration with another artist, a project that now is ruined.

“Never Gonna Give You Up” was a worldwide No. 1 hit. “Betty” has been Yung Gravy’s most successful song, selling more than a million units and reaching No. 30 in the U.S. It also went gold in Canada and triple-platinum in Australia

Erik Pedersen and City News Service contributed to this report.

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