Jermaine Dupri Accuses Sony Music of Decades of Unpaid Royalties
Jermaine Dupri and his So So Def companies are taking Sony Music Entertainment to court, accusing the music giant of withholding and underreporting millions of dollars in royalties over more than three decades.es over more than three decades.
The Grammy-winning producer filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan seeking more than $18 million, alleging Sony engaged in a “systemic pattern” of accounting practices that left So So Def without money it was contractually owed. The complaint was filed July 6, according to multiple reports on the case.
The lawsuit reaches across a catalog tied to some of the biggest names in R&B and hip-hop, including Mariah Carey, Usher, Kris Kross, Xscape, Bow Wow, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, J-Kwon and Bone Crusher.
“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,” Dupri’s attorneys wrote in the complaint.
Dupri Alleges a Decades-Long Pattern of Underpayment
Dupri’s legal team claims Sony understated royalties, failed to report some income and kept certain earnings in separate accounting systems. The lawsuit also alleges the company later altered older royalty statements in ways that concealed money that should have been paid to So So Def.
According to the filing, Dupri and Sony’s business relationship dates back to 1992 and continued through a series of agreements and amendments over the following years. The complaint says concerns about unpaid royalties intensified in 2023 and ultimately led to a 2025 audit by entertainment accounting firm Gelfand, Rennert and Feldman.
Dupri’s attorneys contend the alleged discrepancies were anything but minor.
The lawsuit claims So So Def recordings and Dupri-produced music generated more than $200 million in gross revenue while Sony allegedly failed to properly account for millions owed to Dupri and his companies.
Kris Kross Royalties Take Center Stage
Some of the most serious allegations involve Kris Kross, the teenage rap duo whose success helped establish Dupri as one of hip-hop’s defining producers.
Dupri alleges Sony failed for years to properly report producer and override royalties connected to the group’s first two albums, “Totally Krossed Out” and “Da Bomb.” The lawsuit claims more than $2.2 million remains owed from those records.
According to the complaint, So So Def also discovered a separate Kris Kross royalty account that allegedly generated more than $1 million between 2020 and 2024 while Dupri’s side received nothing. Reporting on the lawsuit similarly identifies roughly $2.2 million in disputed Kris Kross royalties.
The filing also questions royalty accounting tied to Xscape. Dupri’s lawyers argue it is “unfathomable” that the group’s early platinum-selling albums could still carry a roughly $1.5 million unrecouped balance decades after their release.
Da Brat’s platinum debut album, “Funkdafied,” is also allegedly listed as unrecouped.
More Than $10 Million of the Claim Is Interest
The lawsuit seeks more than $18 million in total damages, with more than $10 million of that amount tied to interest, according to reporting on the complaint. Dupri is also seeking attorneys’ fees and has demanded a jury trial.
The case lands amid a broader conversation about ownership, royalty accounting and the ability of artists and Black music executives to control the value created by their work.
Dupri has publicly emphasized that issue before. During the 2026 Culture Creators Awards brunch, he urged Black creators to take greater ownership of their work and careers.
For So So Def, however, the dispute is now headed to federal court.
Sony Music had not publicly issued a substantive response to the allegations as of the latest reports reviewed. The claims remain allegations and have not been proven in court.
