The Game's label sues UMG over Drillmatic promotion

The Game's own label has sued Universal Music Group over how his 2022 album was promoted.

100 Entertainment, the independent label run by the rapper whose legal name is Jayceon Terrell Taylor, filed the case against UMG and its Virgin Music Group division on 30 September. The claim centres on Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind, his eleventh solo studio album. Billboard

The label had an exclusive distribution deal with Virgin for the album. That is an arrangement where Virgin handles getting the music to shops and streaming services while the label remains the owner of the project.

The complaint alleges Virgin promised a $500,000 recoupable marketing budget. That means money put up front to promote the record, then earned back from its income. 100 Entertainment says only $179,000 was actually spent.

It also alleges Virgin spent nothing on radio promotion. That is a serious claim in this context. Radio remains a key route for hip-hop singles to reach new listeners.

The filing points to one single in particular. 100 Entertainment says it paid a substantial share of the video costs for "Stupid" featuring Big Sean. It says UMG has not reimbursed that money.

For breach of contract, the label is seeking at least $500,000 in damages. It links that figure to what it calls diminished commercial performance for the album.

Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind arrived in August 2022. It debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, the US weekly ranking of the most popular albums, and spent two weeks on the chart. Billboard

For listeners, the dispute is a reminder of how much of an album's life happens away from the microphone. Marketing budgets, radio spending and video bills help decide who actually hears a record.

Billboard said it had obtained the 30 September complaint. UMG's position on the allegations was not detailed in the material reported so far.