Jermaine Dupri has filed an $18 million lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment.
The Grammy-winning producer alleged that the company failed to properly pay royalties for releases from “Mariah Carey, Usher, Xscape, Kris Kross and more.”
According to a lawsuit reviewed by Variety, Dupri is accusing SME of “unlawful” dealings stretching back to May 1992,when his imprint, So So Def Recordings, first partnered with the company. The suit states that Dupri began suspecting he was shortchanged on royalties in 2023, with subsequent investigations uncovering further misconduct.
The suit outlines Dupri’s business dealings with SME. Dupri’s partnership dates back to a May 1992 label agreement with So-So Def to release projects from Da Brat, Xscape, Whodini, and Neena.
Dupri’s legal team claims in the suit that “a pattern of underreporting royalties and retroactively updating statements of previously earned royalties.” SME is accused of engaging in “willful deceitful actions designed to harm Plaintiffs in their business.” Also, there are numerous So-So Def production shares and produce royalty accounts impacted by the misreporting.”
The suit goes on to say that $960,000 in unpaid producer royalties for Xscape’s “Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha” and over $1 million for Da Brat’s “Funkdafied” are owed. Albums are released by “Carey, Bow Wow, Usher, J-Kwon, Dupri and Bone Crusher.” The filing claims that Dupri is owed more than $10 million in interest payments for unpaid royalties from his back catalog.
DUPRI’S SUCCESS AT SO SO DEF
So Def served as a foundational blueprint that elevated Southern hip-hop and R&B to a global stage. The label launched the platinum-selling female R&B quartet Xscape and multi-platinum rap star Lil’ Bow Wow. It also made history with Da Brat, whose 1994 debut, Funkdafied, established her as the first solo female rapper to sell over a million copies. Symbolized by its iconic “Afroman” logo, So So Def solidified Atlanta as a dominant cultural powerhouse. The label also catapulted Dupri as a Grammy-winning producer and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee.