Music executive and producer Jermaine Dupri has filed a lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment (SME) in Manhattan federal court, seeking at least $18 million in damages for alleged underpayment and concealment of royalties. The suit accuses Sony of violating contracts tied to Dupri's work with major artists including Mariah Carey, Usher, Kris Kross, Xscape, Bow Wow, and Da Brat.
Systematic Royalty Underreporting Alleged
According to the 13-page complaint obtained by Rolling Stone, Dupri claims Sony Music “knew that it was violating” agreements with him and his label, So So Def, but “never attempted to disclose its contemptuous accounting practices.” The lawsuit states: “Given the systemic pattern of underreporting royalties, failure of reporting royalties, and altering and/or updating statements to report previously earned royalties, [Sony Music Entertainment] has engaged in willful deceitful actions designed to harm plaintiffs in their business.”
Dupri's attorney, Chris Brown, lists at least seven contracts between the producer and Sony Music entities spanning over 25 years. An accounting audit conducted last year reportedly uncovered millions owed to Dupri and his companies, So So Def Recordings and So So Def Productions.
Hidden Royalties on Kris Kross and Jagged Edge
In a specific instance, Dupri alleges Sony hid royalties owed on Kris Kross’ catalog for more than two decades. The complaint claims Sony kept those funds in “a separate royalty accounting system unknown to plaintiffs.” Additionally, Dupri asserts Sony knowingly concealed additional money owed from Jagged Edge’s 1997 album, The Jagged Era, and altered royalty statements dating back several years.
Dupri's Legacy and Financial Impact
The lawsuit describes Dupri as a “mastermind” of the Southern hip-hop and R&B sound. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 2006 for co-writing “We Belong Together” with Mariah Carey and Johntá Austin. The complaint notes the song has garnered over 942 million streams on Spotify as of Tuesday. “Dupri is a musical icon whose recordings on So-So Def and production with other artists have produced over $200,000,000 in gross revenue in the music industry,” the lawsuit states.
While seeking at least $18 million, Dupri indicates further damages may be uncovered. The lawsuit reads: “Given that the matter of unreported producer royalties is not an isolated issue, evident by the above, it is likely that SME did not report producer royalties to plaintiffs for producer services rendered in connection with other artists associated with the So-So Def/SME deals. Additional royalties due to plaintiffs have yet to be determined.”
