Drake and Chris Brown are facing new copyright allegations regarding their 2019 hit “No Guidance.” Artists Tykeiya Dore and Marc Stephens are suing the duo, along with co-writers and producers, for over $5 million, claiming that “No Guidance” copied elements from their 2016 song “I Got It.” According to court documents filed in New Jersey, Dore and Stephens allege that the track lifts key parts from “I Got It,” transforming the main line to “You got it” and mirroring “the same chord progressions, tempo, pitch, key, melody, harmony, rhythm, structure, phrasing, and lyrics” from their original song.
The lawsuit argues, “it’s impossible to not hear the two songs are substantially similar” and even references a now-deleted YouTube video comparing the tracks. The suit names multiple defendants, including co-writers Velous, Nija Charles, and Michee Lebrun, along with producers Noah “40” Shebib, Vinylz, J-Louis, and Teddy Walton. RCA Records and music publishers associated with “No Guidance” are also listed in the complaint.
The plaintiffs claim Vinylz discovered “I Got It” through Benji Filmz’s YouTube channel, while Nija Charles allegedly received the song from Tikeiya’s uncle, Jesse Spruils. Following “No Guidance’s” release, Spruils reportedly confronted Charles about the similarity, though he didn’t initially inform Tikeiya due to feelings of “incompetence, humiliation, and embarrassment.”
In a unique twist, the lawsuit also seeks damages from YouTube and its parent companies, Alphabet and Google, for defamation. Stephens alleges his channel was deleted after he filed a takedown notice against “No Guidance,” with YouTube accusing him of potential fraud. Though YouTube later restored his channel, Stephens had to threaten a lawsuit to reverse the decision.
This isn’t the first time “No Guidance” has been subject to a copyright suit; a similar case in 2021 from artists Braindon Cooper and Timothy Valentine was ultimately dropped in 2022.
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