Record producer and songwriter Jermaine Dupri has filed a lawsuit against Sony, accusing the company of withholding millions of dollars in unpaid royalties dating back to the early 1990s.
Dupri filed a lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment (SME) in New York federal court on Monday (July 6). In the lawsuit, reviewed by Complex, he alleges that SME withheld decades of royalties from him and his record label, So So Def Recordings.
Dupri said that he wasn’t aware of the unpaid royalties, which he claims run into eight figures, until Sony started to issue new royalty statements in 2023, at which point he “began to suspect” that something was seriously amiss.
Last year, per the complaint, Dupri ordered an audit that revealed the unpaid royalties on music he produced as early as 1992. Among the projects he says he was underpaid for are some era-defining ‘90s LPs: Kris Kross’ Totally Krossed Out (1992); Xscape’s Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha (1993); Da Brat’s Funkdafied (1994); and Jagged Edge’s The Jagged Era (1997).
Dupri also alleges that he didn’t see all of the royalties owed from releases he worked on from the likes of Mariah Carey and Usher, who he produced and wrote for. Dupri and his business entities are now seeking “no less than” $18 million in damages from SME.
“SME concealed the fact that additional monies were due to Plaintiffs and altered royalty statements going back multiple years relating to recording artists Da Brat, Xscape, and Jagged Edge,” the lawsuit alleges. “SME attempted to conceal all Kris Kross royalties due Plaintiffs for over 20 years in a separate royalty accounting system unknown to Plaintiffs. SME has understated royalties payable to So-So Def in connection with albums released by artists, including, but not limited to, Mariah Carey, Bow Wow, Usher, J-Kwon, Jermaine Dupri, and Bone Crusher. The amount of additional royalties due is yet to be determined.”
The lawsuit accuses SME of breaching multiple contracts and implied fair-dealing agreements. Sony’s legal team has yet to respond to the allegations. Complex reached out to Jermaine Dupri’s attorney Christopher Brown, but he had no comment.
