Snoop Dogg Accused Of Ripping Off Drummer In Lawsuit

A veteran drummer/producer sued Snoop Dogg for copyright infringement in California on Monday (July 15). According to Billboard, Trevor Lawrence Jr. claimed Snoop never paid the studio musician for contributions to the 2022 album BODR (Bacc on Death Row).

Lawrence said he created backing tracks “on spec” for Snoop to experiment with in the studio in 2020. The drummer, who has worked with stars such as Bruno Mars and Mariah Carey, required payment if the tracks were released commercially.

Snoop allegedly used Lawrence’s work for the songs “Pop Pop” and “Get This Dick,” which appeared on the BODR album. Lawrence never received compensation.

“To date, defendants have refused to properly license the Lawrence tracks or compensate Lawrence for their use in the [Snoop] tracks,” the lawsuit contended.

Snoop’s rep allegedly contacted Lawrence about using the tracks in 2022. Lawerence required a $10,000 flat fee and a 50 percent interest for the underlying musical composition. The lawsuit claimed Snoop’s rep thought the terms were “acceptable.”

“Pop Pop” and “Get This Dick” were released a month later. No one sent Lawrence a formal licensing offer.
Lawrence filed the lawsuit after two years of no compensation. He demanded payment, estimating Snoop made “tens of millions of dollars” from selling BODR as an NFT.

“At no point in time did defendants … communicate to Lawrence any intention to exploit the Lawrence tracks in connection with a bundled offering such as [the NFT sale], nor did Lawrence authorize any such exploitation of his work, which was never within his prior contemplation,” the lawsuit explained.

Snoop released BODR after becoming the new owner of Death Row Records. He acquired the label from MNRK Music Group, formerly known as EOne Music. BODR featured collaborations with Nas, the late Nate Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, The Game, DaBaby, T.I. and more.