Jermaine Dupri is taking Sony Music Entertainment to court, alleging the music giant failed to pay millions of dollars in royalties tied to some of the biggest names in R&B and hip-hop.
According to a lawsuit filed July 6, the Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and founder of So So Def Recordings is seeking more than $18 million in damages, claiming Sony engaged in a decades-long pattern of underreporting and withholding royalty payments connected to recordings
by artists including Mariah Carey, Usher, Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, and Bow Wow, reports Variety.The complaint alleges Sony’s actions amounted to a “systemic pattern” of failing to properly account for royalties earned under agreements dating back to 1992. According to the filing, Sony’s “deceitful actions” included “underreporting royalties, failing to report income, and retroactively altering royalty statements,” reports People. The lawsuit claims Sony withheld approximately $960,000 in royalties from Xscape’s 1993 debut album Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha
. It also alleges the company failed to report producer and override royalties for Kris Kross’ blockbuster albums Totally Krossed Out and Da Bomb, resulting in more than $2.2 million in unpaid royalties. Furthermore, the suit accuses Sony of failing “to account to Plaintiffs to avoid paying millions of dollars to the Plaintiffs,” despite Dupri’s productions and So So Def catalog generating more than $200 million in gross revenue over their decades-long business relationship.In addition to the alleged unpaid royalties, Dupri is seeking interest, attorneys’ fees, and other damages.
Dupri claims he and So So Def first became suspicious in 2023 after reviewing royalty statements and discovering alleged discrepancies spanning multiple releases over several decades.
Dupri, a 12-time Grammy nominee and winner of Best R&B Song for co-writing Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together,” has long been one of
the most influential producers in contemporary music. His So So Def label helped launch the careers of Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, Bow Wow, and Jagged Edge, while his production credits include chart-topping records for Janet Jackson, TLC, and Ludacris.RELATED CONTENT: Jermaine Dupri Says He Created ‘Make It Rain’