Jermaine Dupri Files $18 Million Lawsuit Against Sony Over Unpaid
Jermaine Dupri has filed a federal lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment, claiming the company underpaid millions of dollars in royalties owed to him and his So So Def companies during a business relationship that spanned more than three decades.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks at least $18 million in damages, along with interest, attorney’s fees, and a jury trial. Dupri alleges Sony failed to properly report royalty earnings, concealed revenue, and breached multiple recording and production agreements.
According to the lawsuit, So So Def discovered the alleged discrepancies after a 2025 financial audit. Dupri claims Sony underreported or failed to report royalties connected to recordings by Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Bow Wow, Usher, Mariah Carey, J-Kwon, Bone Crusher, and other artists associated with the label.
The filing outlines several examples of the alleged accounting errors. Dupri says Sony owes more than $2.2 million in producer and override royalties tied to Kris Kross’ first two albums. He also claims the company withheld nearly $1 million connected to Xscape’s debut album and improperly handled royalty accounts tied to several other releases. The lawsuit argues those practices continued for years and prevented So So Def from collecting money it had earned.
Sony has denied wrongdoing. In a statement, the company described the dispute as an ongoing royalty accounting matter that both sides had worked to resolve before the lawsuit. Sony also expressed disappointment that So So Def chose litigation instead of continuing discussions.
Dupri founded So So Def in 1993 and helped launch the careers of several influential hip-hop and R&B artists. If the court rules in his favor, the case could become one of the music industry’s most significant royalty disputes in recent years while drawing renewed attention to how major labels calculate and distribute royalty payments.
