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Jermaine Dupri accused Sony Music Entertainment in Manhattan federal court of shorting So So Def $18 million in royalties.
The Hip-Hop hitmaker, So So Def Recordings and So So Def Productions sued Sony on July 6, claiming the music giant spent years failing to pay proper royalties tied to Xscape, Da Brat, Kris Kross, Jagged Edge, Usher, Mariah Carey, Bow Wow, J-Kwon and Bone Crusher.
The complaint frames the fight as a 32-year business relationship gone sour. Dupri’s side claims Sony’s accounting mess was not a small clerical error. The lawsuit alleges Sony underreported royalties, failed to report other royalties at all and altered old statements once the money questions started getting louder.
“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 complaint states.
The Kris Kross claims carry the sharpest bite.
Jermaine Dupri alleges Sony never reported producer or override royalties tied to Kris Kross’ first two albums,
Totally Krossed Out and Da Bomb, until 2023. The lawsuit claims more than $2.2 million is owed from those albums alone.
The filing says Sony claimed it did not know those royalties had never been reported. Dupri’s side is not buying it.
“SME attempted to conceal all Kris Kross royalties due Plaintiffs for over 20 years in a separate royalty accounting system unknown to Plaintiffs,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit also says Sony gave Dupri’s side Kris Kross royalty statements in 2023 and 2024 showing more than $30 million in foreign sales. Dupri claims Sony still refused to pay at least $2.2 million tied to those records.
Xscape and Da Brat also sit at the center of the fight.
The complaint says Sony underreported more than $960,000 in producer royalties from Xscape’s 1993 album Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha. It also claims that Sony withheld more than $1 million in producer royalties from Da Brat’s 1994 album Funkdafied.
Dupri’s side also takes issue with Sony’s treatment of Xscape’s first two albums. The filing says both albums were certified platinum, yet Sony still treated one So So Def account as more than $1.5 million in the red by June 2020.
“It is unfathomable that Xscape’s royalties were insufficient to recoup the entirety of Xscape’s advances on LP1 and LP2,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit claims that the account generated more than $1 million from 2020 to 2024, but So So Def did not receive those payments because Sony kept applying an old negative balance.
The complaint also accuses Sony of undercounting royalties on Jagged Edge’s 1997 album The Jagged Era. Dupri’s side says Sony later issued amended statements but only went back to 2007, leaving years of money in dispute.
“SME attempted to conceal the fact that additional monies were due to Plaintiffs and altered royalty statements going back multiple years,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit says a 2025 desk audit by Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman uncovered the alleged problems. Dupri’s side claims Sony’s conduct harmed the plaintiffs by more than $18 million, including more than $10 million in interest.
The complaint also says Dupri’s So So Def work and production deals helped create more than $200 million in gross revenue over three decades.
“SME knew that it was violating the contracts with the Plaintiffs and never attempted to disclose its contemptuous accounting practices to the Plaintiffs,” the complaint states.
Jermaine Dupri, So So Def Recordings and So So Def Productions are asking for a jury trial, at least $18 million, interest, attorneys’ fees and any other relief the court allows.
