Posted by The The Game is currently embroiled in a legal battle, suing UMG and Virgin Music Group for $500,000 over their alleged failure to fulfill marketing obligations for his 2022 album, Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind. This Drillmatic marketing lawsuit highlights the ongoing tensions between artists and major labels regarding the execution of promotional strategies during critical release cycles.
According to a report by Billboard, The Game’s label, 100 Entertainment, filed the complaint on September 30. The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, asserting that the music conglomerates failed to utilize the full $500,000 budget specifically allocated for the promotion of the project. The plaintiff claims that this lack of support directly contributed to the album’s underwhelming commercial performance.
In the legal filing, attorney Michael Trauben alleges that UMG invested only $179,000 of the agreed-upon recoupable marketing budget. Furthermore, the suit claims that the label neglected essential digital marketing strategies and provided zero funding for radio promotion. According to the complaint, 100 Entertainment was forced to cover these costs out of pocket to maintain the album’s rollout schedule, including the promotion of the music video for the single “Stupid,” featuring Big Sean. The label reportedly has yet to be reimbursed for these expenditures.
“Deprived of nearly two-thirds of its bargained-for promotional support during the critical release cycle, the album did not perform as it would have had Defendants administered the marketing and promotion fund as the parties approved,” Trauben stated in the complaint. “Plaintiff thereby lost royalties, streaming and sales revenues, and related income that the album would have generated with the promised marketing support, in an amount to be proven at trial.”
UMG and Virgin Music Group have reportedly denied any breach of contract in previous communications with 100 Entertainment. Drillmatic, which was released on August 12, 2022, serves as a massive 30-track collection featuring an array of high-profile collaborators, including Lil Wayne, Ye, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, and Roddy Ricch.