U.K. Icons Pet Shop Boys Call Out Drake for Allegedly Sampling Hit Single Without Permission

Chris Malone Méndez
·2 min read
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Drake's eighth studio album For All the Dogs is out today, and it hasn't arrived without controversy. Throughout the project, the Grammy-winning rapper addresses issues including his friendship with Millie Bobby Brown as well as contentious relationships with Kanye West and Rihanna. It's also sparked anger from artists who claim they were never asked about having their songs sampled or interpolated on the album.

British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys called out Drizzy for allegedly failing to approach them about interpolating their song "West End Girls" on his song "All the Parties." The Pet Shop Boys' hit single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart back in 1986 and remains one of their calling cards today.

On "All the Parties," Drake sings the iconic "East End boys and West End girls" chorus from the Pet Shop Boys' smash. The unexpected homage was "surprising" to the duo, to say the least, with "no credit given or permission requested."

This is far from the first time Drake has found himself in hot water for not getting legal permission to use another artist's music in his own. On this album alone, the 6 God also sampled vocals from rapper Rye Rye's 2007 song "Shake It to the Ground" on album track "Calling For You." Last year, he similarly lifted her "Shake It to the Ground" vocals for his Honestly, Nevermind song "Currents." And earlier this year, Ghanaian artist Obrafour filed a lawsuit claiming the rapper never obtained permission to sample his music.

When releasing the album's lead single "Slime You Out," Drake reached out to Halle Berry for permission to use a photo of her covered in slime for the single artwork. She said no, but he went ahead and used it anyway.

It seems like the former Degrassi star lives his life by the saying that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.