Ghanaian rapper Obrafour has filed a lawsuit against Canadian rapper Drake for sampling his 2003 remix of ‘Oye Ohene’ on Drake's song ‘Calling My Name’ off his Honestly Nevermind album. Obrafour alleges that Drake used his work without obtaining permission, thereby infringing on his copyright.
According to court documents presented in New York, Obrafour had been approached by an agent of Drake's seeking permission to use the Copyrighted Work in the Infringing Work. However, Obrafour claims that he never granted permission for the use of his work, and the Infringing Work was released anyway.
Obrafour further alleges that Drake and other defendants have significantly benefited from his work since the release of ‘Calling My Name,’ which has been streamed millions of times on various platforms. As a result, Obrafour is seeking damages in an amount not less than $10,000,000 and an injunction to prevent the defendants from infringing on his rights under the Copyright Act.
The lawsuit also includes other defendants, such as writers, producers, performers, record labels, entertainment companies, publishers, managers, administrators, and/or distributors of the infringing work.
Drake's use of Obrafour's work in ‘Calling My Name’ came as a surprise to Ghanaians when the album was released in June 2022. The sample of ‘Oye Ohene’ appears at 0:53 seconds in the Drake tune, and it transitions into a house music vibe, sending the song into a different type of ambiance compared to its initial trajectory. Obrafour's claim highlights the importance of obtaining permission and respecting the intellectual property rights of other artists in the music industry.
