Up-n-coming Toronto-based artist and songwriter Layla Hendryx doesn’t seem to be a fan of controversial rapper DaBaby. Hendryx has accused DaBaby of copying the entire hook for an unreleased song of hers titled “Boogeyman.”
“The whole [cadence], the whole flow for the hook is stolen from me,” Hendryx told Rolling Stone. “One, it was done so sheisty, and two, the fact that he used the song to basically diss another Black woman while you’re stealing from another Black woman is just wild to me.”
DaBaby barrels into “Boogeyman,” on his latest album titled “Baby On Baby 2,” claiming to have had a sexual relationship with Megan Thee Stallion before she was allegedly shot by rapper Tory Lanez.
The songs from Layla Hendryx and DaBaby share a near identical hook, with DaBaby’s being a bit faster and less melodic. Even the lyrics are extremely similar: “You play with me/ Oh God – shut the lights off/ Boogeyman,” on the released track versus: “Go downstairs/ Shut the lights…like/ ‘Boo,’ It’s the boogeyman.”
“See this is why I’m going back to being an artist,” she posted to her IG Stories after comparing the two tracks. “Weird ass snake ass ‘A&R’s’ love asking me to send songs just to steal my concepts ideas and flows just nasty.”
Hendryx, who has worked with fellow Canadian rapper Drake in the past, told Rolling Stone that her version of “Boogeyman” was submitted to an A&R this year. She added that she’s “one hundred percent sure” that this label executive, who never contacted her back, is the person who gave DaBaby access to her work.
“It’s the fact that, not only did you steal for me — straight up plagiarism — but then you’re using it to diss somebody else, another artist,” she said. “It’s just not something that I want to be a part of. Even if they did just put me out with a credit, that’s not something I want to write for.”
“I do not want to write for DaBaby,” Hendryx continued. “I would’ve said no to begin with. Just let me have the choice with my own art.”
Hendryx claimed to be pursuing legal action against the artist.
