Legendary music producer and So So Def founder Jermaine Dupri has officially taken Sony Music Entertainment to court, filing a significant lawsuit in Manhattan federal court. The legal action alleges that the music conglomerate has underpaid royalty payments owed to his label, So So Def, by an estimated $18 million.
According to reports, the complaint asserts that Sony Music Entertainment failed to properly compensate a wide array of artists associated with the So So Def imprint. The list of affected talent spans decades of hit-making, including industry icons such as Bow Wow, Usher, Jagged Edge, and Da Brat.
The lawsuit goes beyond simple accounting disputes, with Dupri alleging that the discrepancies were not merely the result of clerical errors. Instead, the filing claims that the label altered financial statements once inquiries regarding the missing funds began to surface. “As it turns out, many of SME’s dealings with So-So Def have not been lawful and have harmed So-So Def in its business,” the legal document states.
The scope of the alleged underpayment is extensive, covering a vast catalog of music history. Specifically, the suit highlights the first two albums from the duo Kris Kross, Totally Krossed Out and Da Bomb, noting that over 42 million units were cited for those projects alone. Furthermore, the claim identifies specific shortfalls, including over $900,000 in missing royalties for Xscape’s Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha and more than $1 million related to Da Brat’s debut album, Funkdafied.
