Astley’s 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up is interpolated in Gravy’s song Betty (Get Money).

But the singer said he had not agreed to the use of his voice on the track. His lawsuit states that his voice is a resource that needs to be carefully managed.

Rapper Gravy and his team were allegedly authorised to use the underlying musical composition of Never Gonna Give You Up. But Astley’s lawyers said: “A license to use the original underlying musical composition does not authorise the stealing of the artist’s voice in the original recording.”

The papers state that Gravy and his producers “conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr Astley’s voice throughout the song”.

It alleges that this was done “in an effort to capitalise off of the immense popularity and goodwill of Mr Astley”.