Lawsuits and Diss Tracks: Rodney O Comes for Kendrick, Metro & Future Over ‘Like That’ Sample

 

The beef track of the year may have lit up the charts but now it’s lighting up the courtroom.

Rodney O, the hip-hop veteran behind the iconic 1980s track “Everlasting Bass,” has filed a lawsuit against Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick Lamar, alleging he was left out of royalty payments and songwriting credits for their hit diss track, “Like That.”

According to court documents, Rodney claims his sample was used without proper clearance and that he never got paid the full royalties he was promised. The lawsuit also calls out the estate of Barry White, whose work was reportedly sampled in a remix version of the song released by Kanye West.

To make matters worse, Rodney says he didn’t even know Kendrick Lamar was featured on the final cut despite thinking he had the complete version in hand.

“I heard the track, thought it was dope. Someone called me the day before it dropped and said, ‘Kendrick’s on that record,’” Rodney recalled. “I told them, ‘No way I have it, and he’s not on there.’ But clearly, I didn’t have the real version.”

A rep for Metro Boomin fired back, saying Rodney was indeed paid $50,000 for the sample rights, and any further payment delays could be tied up with Barry White’s estate via their relationship with Epic Records. So far, the estate has stayed silent.

Rodney’s other major gripe? He was allegedly snubbed from the songwriting credits when “Like That” was submitted for Grammy consideration a serious blow for an artist watching his work reach a new generation without recognition.

“It’s wild. This track has taken on a life of its own, and I’m proud my music lives on… But business is business,” Rodney told Vibe.