Full Breakdown
Jermaine Dupri Sues Sony Music for $18 Million in Alleged Unpaid Royalties
7/10/2026, 1:39:33 PM
Lawsuit Overview
Atlanta producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on July 6, 2026, seeking at least $18 million in damages from Sony Music Entertainment (SME). The complaint alleges that SME “withheld royalties and didn’t honor its agreements” with Dupri’s label, So So Def Recordings, for work spanning more than three decades on albums by Xscape, Da Brat, Kris Kross, Mariah Carey, Usher and other artists.
Historical Partnership
Dupri’s imprint So So Def first entered a label agreement with Sony in May 1992. Five years later the two entities signed a joint-venture agreement, and after a 2002 buyout the label operated under Sony’s Arista imprint. The partnership lasted until 2002, during which time Dupri’s productions and So So Def releases generated roughly $200 million in gross revenue.
Artists and Catalogs at Issue
The lawsuit cites specific royalties allegedly owed for:
- Xscape’s 1993 debut album Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha (nearly $2 million).
- Da Brat’s single Funkdafied (amounts not itemized).
- Kris Kross’s catalog, including Totally Krossed Out and Da Bomb, claimed to be hidden for more than two decades.
- Jagged Edge’s 1997 album The Jagged Era.
- Additional tracks by Mariah Carey, Usher, Bow Wow, Bone Crusher and J-Kwon.
Financial Claims
Dupri’s filing states that SME’s accounting practices resulted in “underreporting royalties, failure of reporting royalties, and altering… statements to report previously earned royalties.” The complaint quantifies the alleged shortfall at $18 million in makeup royalties, plus interest and attorney fees. It also notes that an internal audit in 2025 uncovered “millions owed” to Dupri and his companies, So So Def Recordings and So So Def Productions.
Official Responses
Sony Music Entertainment has not provided a comment to any of the outlets reporting on the case.
Criticism of Sony’s Accounting Practices
Dupri’s attorneys argue that SME “knew that it was violating” contractual obligations yet “never attempted to disclose its contemptuous accounting practices.” The complaint describes a “systemic pattern” of creating a “separate royalty accounting system unknown to plaintiffs,” allowing SME to withhold funds and retroactively alter royalty statements.
Conflicting Details & Gaps
Sources differ on the precise amounts tied to individual projects. While one report cites “almost $2 million total for Xscape’s ‘Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha’,” another mentions $960,000 for the same album. The lawsuit references “more than $2.2 million” in unpaid royalties for Kris Kross, but no independent verification of that figure appears in the public record. Additionally, the claim that Sony concealed royalties for “other artists associated with the So-So Def/SME deals” remains unquantified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “systemic pattern” of underreporting and failing to report royalties, as well as altering statements to report previously earned royalties. — Jermaine Dupri, Complaint
- “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,” — Jermaine Dupri, Complaint
- “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,” — Jermaine Dupri, Complaint
- “Additional royalties due to plaintiffs have yet to be determined.” — Jermaine Dupri, Complaint
