The Game’s company is taking aim at UMG and Virgin Music over the marketing rollout for his 2022 album Drillmatic — Heart vs. Mind, alleging that more than $320,000 of a promised promotional budget was never spent.
In a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ, 100 Entertainment Inc. claims UMG and Virgin Music agreed to put $500,000 toward marketing and promotion for Drillmatic. The company says the two sides approved a detailed spending plan just days before the album’s release.
According to the lawsuit, the budget covered several promotional areas, including music videos, digital advertising, international promotion and $125,000 specifically earmarked for radio.
But 100 Entertainment claims the label partners ultimately spent only about one-third of the promised amount.
The company says that left more than $320,000 unused, including the entire $125,000 radio allocation. It also alleges that the money that was spent was later recouped from The Game’s royalties.
That alleged shortfall is at the center of the dispute.
100 Entertainment claims the limited promotional push damaged Drillmatic during the critical period surrounding its release. The company argues the album could have performed better commercially if the full marketing and promotion budget had actually been used.
Drillmatic — Heart vs. Mind reportedly moved the equivalent of about 25,000 records in its first week, debuting at No. 12 on the Billboard 200.
Now, 100 Entertainment is seeking at least $500,000 in damages through the lawsuit.
The case puts the spotlight on a familiar pressure point in the music business: an artist can have an album ready to go, but the promotional machine behind it can be just as important as the music itself. For The Game’s company, the claim is that the promised machine never fully showed up.
