Lil Uzi Vert Sued For $110 Million For Alleged Copyright Violation

Lil Uzi Vert has been accused of copyright infringement by fellow artiste, Rief Rawyal. 

The claimant is seeking $110 million in damages for the alleged copying of key musical elements used in the 2022 viral single ‘Just Wanna Rock’. 

Rief Rawyal alleges that Uzi’s track, released in October 2022, copied his song “Pain and Pleasure”, which he released two months earlier.

The lawsuit asserts that Uzi “copied the original hook, melody, and theme” of Rawyal’s composition, including the signature chant “When I rock ah ah.”

Forensic musicologist Brian McBrearty, cited in the complaint, reported a 93-97% derivation between the two songs. The analysis points to multiple similarities, including identical drum patterns, “tresillo” rhythmic syncopation, and parallel tempos in the 130-150 beats per minute range.

The suit names multiple defendants, including Lil Uzi Vert, Atlantic Records, Generation Now, Roc Nation, and Warner Music Group. Rawyal claims that the defendants gained access to his unreleased demos through a “clear institutional pathway” involving a 2012 collaboration with an executive at Atlantic Records.

Rawyal is seeking $110 million in damages for lost revenue, publishing credit, ownership shares, and an injunction against further use of the song. “Just Wanna Rock”, which amassed over 500 million TikTok views in weeks and became Uzi’s first Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 since 2020.