The Game Sues UMG for $500K Over Failed Drillmatic Promo

The Game is suing UMG and Virgin Music Group for $500,000 over their alleged marketing budget failure with promoting his 2022 album, Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind.

According to a report in Billboard, published on Friday (Oct. 2), The Game label’s 100 Entertainment filed a lawsuit on Wednesday (Sept. 30) against UMG and Virgin Music for breach of contract, claiming the music conglomerates didn’t fully use the $500,000 allocated for the marketing of Drillmatic, which resulted in the album selling poorly.

In the suit, The Game’s attorney Michael Trauben alleges UMG spent only a fraction of the recoupable marketing budget—$179,000—and overlooked critical digital marketing strategies and providing zero funding for radio promotion. Trauben added that 100 Entertainment had to pay out of pocket for marketing to keep the album rollout on schedule, including promoting the music video for the album’s single, “Stupid” featuring Big Sean. He also claimed that UMG has yet to reimburse them for the expenses they accrued.

“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 reportedly wrote 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.”

According to Billboard, UMG and Virgin denied any breach of contract in prior legal dispatches to 100 Entertainment.

XXL has reached out to The Game’s attorney Michael Trauben and UMG for comment.

Drillmatic was released on Aug. 12, 2022. The 30-track collection featured rap cameos from Lil Wayne, Ye, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Roddy Ricch and more.

Watch The Game’s “Stupid” Music Video Featuring Big Sean