'Contemptuous'
The Grammy-winning producer claims Sony Music "engaged in willful deceitful actions" to withhold royalties
Grammy-winning producer Jermaine Dupri has filed a blistering lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment (SME), accusing the company of underpaying and concealing royalties tied to his work with artists including Mariah Carey, Usher, Kris Kross, Xscape, Bow Wow, and Da Brat.
The Atlanta-based producer and songwriter, known for shaping the sound of Nineties hip-hop and R&B, claims Sony Music “knew that it was violating” contracts with him and his influential label, So So Def, but “never attempted to disclose its contemptuous accounting practices.” Dupri’s lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, is seeking at least $18 million in damages.
“Given the systemic pattern of underreporting royalties, failure of reporting royalites, 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,” the new 13-page lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone reads.
