Jermaine Dupri Sues Sony Music for $18M Over Decades of Unpaid Royalties

So So Def founder alleges a “systemic pattern” of underreporting and hidden accounting for Kris Kross, Xscape, Usher, and Mariah Carey catalog releases.

ATLANTA – Legendary Atlanta producer and So So Def Recordings founder Jermaine Dupri has filed a massive federal lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment (SME), alleging that the major label engaged in a “systemic pattern” of underreporting, altering, and withholding royalties spanning a 32-year business relationship.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks at least $18 million in damages, plus more than $10 million in interest and attorneys’ fees.

A 30-Year Legacy Under the Financial Microscope

Dupri, whose production and label work helped transform Atlanta into an international hip-hop and R&B powerhouse in the 1990s and 2000s, claims that So So Def catalog releases and his personal production credits have generated over $200 million in gross revenue.

However, following a 2025 independent desk audit by financial services firm Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, Dupri’s legal team alleges they uncovered deep accounting discrepancies that Sony allegedly tried to conceal for decades.

The lawsuit names a star-studded roster of artists whose royalties were allegedly affected, including:

• Kris Kross
• Xscape
• Da Brat
• Jagged Edge
• Usher
• Mariah Carey
• Bow Wow, J-Kwon, and Bone Crusher

Key Claims in the $18 Million Complaint

The filing outlines several specific catalog disputes where millions of dollars were allegedly kept off the books or miscalculated:

• The Kris Kross “Hidden System” ($2.2M+): The lawsuit alleges Sony never reported producer or override royalties for Kris Kross’s multi-platinum 1992 debut Totally Krossed Out or 1993’s Da Bomb until 2023. Dupri claims Sony maintained a separate accounting system, unknown to So So Def, that hid over $30 million in foreign sales connected to the rap duo.
• Xscape Debut & Recoupment ($1.9M+): The suit claims over $960,000 in underreported producer royalties from Xscape’s 1993 debut Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha. Additionally, Dupri alleges Sony improperly carried a negative $1.5 million balance on the group’s production account decades after both initial albums reached platinum status.
• Da Brat’s Funkdafied ($1M+): Dupri alleges Sony withheld over $1 million in producer royalties tied to Da Brat’s history-making 1994 debut album, which was the first solo female rap album to be certified platinum.
• Jagged Edge Statement Alterations: According to the complaint, Sony began issuing previously unreported royalties in 2023 for Jagged Edge’s 1997 album A Jagged Era, but only dated figures back to 2007, leaving earlier accounting periods omitted.

“Given the systemic pattern of (1) underreporting royalties (2) failure of reporting royalties and (3) altering and/or updating statements to report previously earned royalties, [Sony] has engaged in willful deceitful actions designed to harm Plaintiffs in their business,” the lawsuit states.

Sony’s Response

In a statement addressing the litigation, a spokesperson for Sony Music Entertainment downplayed the accusations as an ongoing accounting conversation that took an unnecessary legal turn:

“This matter concerns a royalty accounting dispute the parties were actively engaged in attempting to resolve. We are disappointed that So So Def elected to pursue litigation rather than continue that dialogue.”

Court filings reveal that both parties had previously signed a tolling agreement in November 2025 to negotiate the initial $18 million claim out of court before talks broke down, leading to the formal complaint.

As the case moves forward in federal court, the outcome could set a high-profile precedent for catalog auditing and legacy producer royalty transparency across the music industry.