Music executive and Grammy-winning producer Jermaine Dupri has launched an $18 million legal battle against Sony Music Entertainment, accusing the company of underpaying and concealing royalties connected to his work with some of the biggest names in music, including Mariah Carey, Usher, Kris Kross, Xscape, Bow Wow and Da Brat.
The Atlanta-based producer and founder of So So Def claims Sony Music “knew that it was violating” contractual agreements but failed to disclose what he described as improper accounting practices that affected payments owed to him and his companies.
Dupri filed the lawsuit at a federal court in Manhattan, seeking at least $18 million in damages, alleging that Sony engaged in a long-running pattern of underreporting royalties, failing to provide accurate statements and altering financial records.
According to the lawsuit, Sony allegedly kept royalty payments linked to Kris Kross’ music catalogue in a separate accounting system that was unknown to Dupri and his companies for more than two decades.
The complaint further claims that additional royalties connected to Jagged Edge’s 1997 album The Jagged Era were also concealed, while some royalty statements were allegedly modified to reflect inaccurate reporting.
Dupri and his lawyer, Chris Brown, said an audit conducted last year uncovered millions of dollars they believe are owed under several agreements between the producer, So So Def Recordings, So So Def Productions and Sony-related companies spanning more than 25 years.
Described in the lawsuit as a “mastermind” behind the Southern hip-hop and R&B movement, Dupri has built a celebrated career producing major hits and working with global artists. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 2006 for co-writing Mariah Carey’s hit “We Belong Together.”
The lawsuit claims Dupri’s recordings and productions have generated more than $200 million in music industry revenue, while arguing that the alleged royalty issues may involve other artists connected to So So Def’s agreements with Sony.
Dupri is seeking a full review of Sony’s accounting records, payment of unpaid royalties and further damages, stating that the amount owed could increase as investigations continue.
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