Rodney O Throws Down the Legal Gauntlet on Epic Records—Is “Like That” About to Get Officially Unliked?
Added on May 9, 2025 inEntertainment News Cards
Popular
Numerology Meets Netflix: Get Your Daily Dose of Cosmic Cinema Suggestions Powered By Our AI Astrologer. Find The Show Or Movie You Were Meant To See!
Then Join Our FREE Newsletter To Watch Your Choice Of Movies And Shows For FREE Plus Get The Latest Entertainment News And Updates!
Sometimes, the universe throws a curveball that’s as dramatic as a Mercury retrograde on a Monday morning—and this time, it’s hitting the hip-hop world with some serious royalty drama. Remember that hypnotic bassline from Rodney O & Joe Cooley’s 1988 track “Everlasting Bass”? It’s been resurrected over 35 years later by Future and Metro Boomin’ in their chart-topping banger “Like That,” featuring none other than Kendrick Lamar. Cool, right? Until you realize Rodney O feels like the cosmic scales are out of whack—claiming Epic Records and the estate of Barry White haven’t held up their end of the deal, despite the track’s sample nodding to White’s 1973 classic “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby.” And now, Rodney’s taking it beyond vibes and into the courtroom, demanding what’s rightfully his. Could this be an astrological sign reminding us all that even legends have to fight for their shine in this ever-spinning industry? Let’s dig into the details and see who’s truly ‘Like That’ when it comes to honoring the pioneers. LEARN MORE.
Rodney O & Joe Cooley released “Everlasting Bass” in 1988 and more than 35 years later, Future and Metro Boomin’ lifted a sample of the track for their now-infamous single “Like That” featuring Kendrick Lamar. But according to Rodney O, Epic Records and the Estate of Barry White aren’t holding up its end of the bargain. (“Everlasting Bass” contains a sample of White’s 1973 single “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby.”)
On Wednesday (May 7), Rodney announced he had filed a lawsuit against the label, accusing them of shafting him on royalties. He wrote, “At first I was honored to have Future, Metro & KDot use my classic ‘Everlasting Bass,’ but they probably didn’t know that the company has not lived up to the agreement. I’ll do whatever it takes to stand up for me and all the pioneers in the game. Enough is enough.”
TMZ, however, spoke to Metro Boomin’s rep and was told he did get the necessary clearances for the sample and paid him $50,000.
View this post on Instagram
“Like That” arrived in 2024 via Freebandz Entertainment and Epic Records. Kendrick Lamar’s verse kicked off his ongoing feud with Drake, which resulted in multiple diss tracks, five Grammys for Lamar, K. Dot’s headlining slot at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show and Drake’s legal complaint against Universal Music Group.
“If he walk around with that stick, it ain’t André 3K,” Lamar rapped in the song. “Think I won’t drop the location? I still got PTSD/M######### the big three, n####, it’s just big me.” With those words, Lamar sparked one of the most contentious rap battles in recent memory, culminating with “Not Like Us.”
AllHipHop spoke to Rodney O backstage at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado in April 2024, not long after “Like That” was released. At the time, Rodney was riding high off its success. After all, it was still the No. 1 song in the country. DJ Quik had introduced AllHipHop to Rodney O prior to his set and he was happy to comment on the song.
“It’s amazing,” Rodney said. “For something I made when I was 16, 17 years old to come back and be bigger than it was, ‘Hey, I’m all in!’ Keep it moving. Y’all keep listening!”
View this post on Instagram
Rodney O doesn’t necessarily hold anything against Future, Metro Boomin’ or Kendrick Lamar but instead seems to blame just the label and White’s estate. In the suit, he claims his writing credits were even omitted when the track was nominated for a Grammy Award last year.
For those unfamiliar with Rodney O, he and Joe Cooley were signed with Egyptian Lover’s label, Egyptian Empire. Subsequent tours included bills with MC Lyte, N.W.A, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Flash.
Rodney O retains 50 percent of the rights to “Everlasting Bass,” meaning the Future and Metro Boomin track should have put some well-deserved money in his pockets.
.mobile_only_ad{display:none;}@media only screen and (max-width:767px){.mobile_only_ad{display:block;}}
){kind=link}