The availability of “BBL Drizzy” remixes and samples may soon be in jeopardy. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is taking legal action against two companies for their roles in the creation of “BBL Drizzy.” According to reports from CNN, the RIAA has filed lawsuits against Uncharted Labs and Suno, alleging “blatant infringement.”
The controversy arose during the Drake versus Kendrick Lamar beef, when Metro Boomin launched a challenge for rappers to showcase their skills over the “BBL Drizzy” instrumental, promising a $10,000 reward and a free beat to the winner. The original sample of “BBL Drizzy” was created by internet comedian King Willonius using the AI platform Udio, developed by Uncharted Labs. The RIAA’s lawsuits target both Uncharted Labs and Suno, claiming that their actions constitute significant copyright violations.
The RIAA argues that while generative AI tools can assist in creating new and innovative music if used with permission and collaboration from copyright owners, their irresponsible development without regard for copyright protections could cause “irreparable harm.” This could diminish the quality of new music and negatively impact the music industry. The RIAA emphasized, “These digital music files have been released to the public—some already finding their way onto major streaming services—and compete with the copyrighted sound recordings that enabled their creation; yet Suno sought no permission from and gives no credit or compensation to the human artists or other rightsholders whose works fueled their creation.”
The lawsuit against Udio highlights the potential benefits of AI tools developed responsibly, stating, “If developed with the permission and participation of copyright owners, generative AI tools will be able to assist humans in creating and producing new and innovative music.” However, it also warns of the dangers, adding, “If developed irresponsibly, without regard for fundamental copyright protections, those same tools threaten enduring and irreparable harm to recording artists, record labels, and the music industry, inevitably reducing the quality of new music available to consumers and diminishing our shared culture.”
The legal action against Suno points out that the platform has over 10 million users generating music files. It has garnered around 2 million streams. The RIAA claims that these digital music files compete with copyrighted recordings without proper authorization or compensation to the original artists and rights holders. Neither Uncharted Labs nor Suno have commented on the lawsuits, according to CNN.