Rising rap star Flo Milli is facing a serious legal battle over her biggest hit. The 23-year-old Alabama rapper (real name Tamia Carter) has been hit with a $1 million copyright infringement lawsuit alleging that her 2023 single “Never Lose Me” unlawfully uses a beat that wasn’t hers to sample. The complaint was filed in Los Angeles federal court by Shamar Deal, a Baltimore songwriter who claims he originally licensed the instrumental exclusively for his own use – only to hear it later appear in Flo Milli’s track.
According to the suit, the beat in question, titled “Youu,” was created by producer Gerreaux Katana and sold under a 10-year exclusive license to Deal via an online platform for rap instrumentals. Deal recorded a song over “Youu” for his own project. However, the lawsuit states that producer Katana breached their contract by re-licensing that same beat to Detroit rappers Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg in 2023. Those artists used it in their collaboration “Ron Artest.” Flo Milli then sampled elements of “Ron Artest” – and thereby “Youu” – for “Never Lose Me.” In doing so, the suit alleges, Flo Milli and the Detroit artists infringed on Deal’s exclusive rights. “As plaintiff currently holds the exclusive right to the composition, the incorporation of the composition in ‘Ron Artest’ and ‘Never Lose Me’ constitutes copyright infringement,” said Deal’s attorney, Larry Zerner, in the filing.
The lawsuit names Flo Milli, Babyface Ray, 42 Dugg, producer Katana, and the labels involved (including Sony Music and EMPIRE) as defendants. “Never Lose Me” has been a runaway success for Flo Milli – it peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and racked up over 500 million streams in the U.S. alone – which explains the high damages sought. Neither Flo Milli nor her management have publicly commented yet on the case. As the legal process begins, fans are watching closely, hoping the dispute can be resolved without derailing the momentum of one of hip-hop’s zestiest new voices.
