Jean Deaux has alleged that her royalties from Smino’s 2017 album blkswn were “wrongfully collected” by the artist’s team for nearly a decade.
In an X post shared on Monday (May 4), Deaux wished herself a happy birthday before making the claim, notably including a screenshot of the blkswn track “Amphetamine,” on which she features alongside Bari and Noname.
“HBD to me, did y’all know that my royalties from blkswn was wrongfully collected by [Smino’s] team for 9 years [and] after we found out they said he’s broke?” Deaux wrote. “[And] as of today his management made sure I’ll never personally receive the rest of what’s owed, ignoring previous agreements to pay?”
Deaux, whose “Finesse” single was released back in February, elaborated further from there, claiming that “this ordeal” has played out behind the scenes over the past six months.
“I asked nicely over [and] over while being stalled, gaslit, patronized, and even objectified in the process,” she added. “Most recently I was offered my money in exchange for signing an NDA, for money… that’s mine.”
Deaux also accused Smino’s team of going behind her back to distribute money “not even fully owed to them,” alleging that an agreement was previously signed under which she was owed a specific percentage, only for her publishing stake to be lowered “in exchange for me getting money.”
Complex has reached out to reps for both artists for comment. This story may be updated.
Blkswn, released in 2017, marked Smino’s full-length studio debut. Other guests on the project included Ravyn Lenae and Drea Smith, among others, with the album ultimately coming in at No. 41 on Complex’s ranking of the best albums of its release year.
