Joyner Lucas faces a federal lawsuit in California after he reposted footage of a VladTV interview on his social media without permission or authorization, allegedly to increase his own profile.
Flood accused the rapper of copyright infringement by sharing the video from the Flood TV interview series. The video features comedian Aries Spears mocking British rap and was originally titled “Aries Spears Clowns UK Rappers: That S**t Sounds Ridiculous! (Part 12)”.
According to the lawsuit, Lucas uploaded the five-minute clip to his @joynerlucas account on X on July 6. Documents say he cut off the VladTV watermark before sharing it with his 1.5 million followers.
The post quickly gained traction, racking up 4.4 million views, 2,800 retweets and 20,000 likes before X removed it under a Digital Millennium Copyright Act removal request.
DJ Vlad, real name Vlad Lyubovny, owns Hot In Here, Inc., the parent company of VladTV. His attorneys argued that Lucas knowingly used copyrighted material to drive traffic to his account and promote his brand.
The lawsuit alleges that Joyner-Lucas “encouraged” others to share the video, which allegedly led to further unauthorized distribution. It also claims rappers profit from increased social media engagement, using viral posts to promote music and merchandise.
Hot In Here said it attempted to resolve the issue out of court before filing suit. Flood was willing to waive any potential legal action in exchange for an interview with Joyner Lucas. However, talks reportedly broke down after Lucas’ manager Dhruv Joshi sent “expletive-laden text messages” from Joyner Lucas himself to VladTV’s legal team.
“Dear Vlad…fuck me. Call your lawyer and do what you have to do. I have never been interviewed by you in my life and you are definitely not going to be interviewed now. So fix your legal issues however you want to fix them p##sy. I always thought you were a b##ch and this just confirms the kind of b##ch you are. I will never allow someone like you to try to blackmail me from an interview in this life or the next. You got me screwed up all the time.
Vlad is seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000, legal fees and a permanent injunction prohibiting Lucas from using any VladTV content in the future. It also wants a full accounting of any profits Lucas may have made from the position.
With over 6 million YouTube subscribers, VladTV is known for its in-depth interviews with artists, comedians, and hip-hop figures. The platform has become a major conduit for commentary and cultural discussion in the genre.
Joyner Lucas is a platinum-selling singer from Worcester, Massachusetts, known for her work with Will Smith, Chris Brown, Timbaland, Lil Baby, Future, Eminem and more.
