Hip-hop legend Jermaine Dupri is taking Sony Music Entertainment to court, alleging that the music distributor has withheld millions in royalties from him and his team. Dupri, known for his work with music titans, including Usher, Ludacris, TLC, and Xscape, filed a lawsuit against the company in early July 2026.
Dupri is taking Sony Music Entertainment to court, alleging that the music company has withheld millions from him and his label, So-So Def Recordings, and blasted them in legal filings for their alleged “deceitful actions.”
In the filing, reported by PEOPLE, Dupri said he’s helped produce some of the industry’s biggest songs, which have ultimately brought in over $200 million. However, over the years he and Sony have worked together, Dupri alleged that the company had repeatedly altered documents by underreporting and failing to report royalties.
“[Sony Music Entertainment] intentionally failed to account to Plaintiffs to avoid paying millions of dollars to the Plaintiffs,” the filing reads.
Jermaine Dupri Reworked His Contract With Sony Music Numerous Times Between 1992 And 2006
The legal documents claim that Dupri, who entered into a contract with Sony Music Entertainment in 1992, has reworked his agreement with the company “at least seven times” between ’92 and 2006.
Elsewhere in the filing, it states that the music icon began to believe something unsavory was occurring at the company in 2023 when So-So Def Recordings realized they allegedly hadn’t been paid for “multiple releases” over a “substantial” period of time.
As for the records, Dupri is alleging in the lawsuit that he is owed nearly $1 million for his work on Xscape’s “Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha,” and $2.2 million for two Kris Kross albums.
Overall, Dupri is seeking $18 million in royalties from Sony and has referenced additional works he’s allegedly missing royalties on by artists such as Mariah Carey, Usher, and Bow Wow.
Jermaine Dupri Broke His Silence On Why He Believed Xscape Split
While Dupri has worked with a plethora of stellar artists over the years, fans can never overlook his role in shaping Xscape into one of the most dominant R&B quartets of the early ’90s. Hits like “Who Can I Run To” and “Just Kickin’ It” are just a few of the timeless records that helped cement the group’s legacy.
However, the band split in 2000 before reuniting briefly in 2005. Speaking with Ebony in 2019, Dupri got candid about how he felt some of his work with the group actually led to their demise, stating that the songs he wrote caused friction amongst the ladies.
“They meet Jermaine Dupri, and Jermaine Dupri writes a song and he gives the song to Kandi [Burruss] because Kandi’s voice sounds like mine. It’s no other reason that I gave it to her besides the fact that I wanted her to sing the way I was having T-Boz sing. That created friction from jump,” he said.
While the group has since reunited and performed together, they proved their drama remained when they appeared in the Bravo docuseries “SWV & XSCAPE: The Queens of R&B.”
Dupri Took The Super Bowl Stage With Usher In 2024
In addition to Xscape, Dupri worked with Usher on some of his biggest hits, including “Burn,” “Confessions Part II,” and “My Boo.” So, it only made sense for the music staple to appear alongside him during his 2024 Super Bowl performance.
Dupri opened up about the special occasion while speaking with Entertainment Tonight, saying, “It’s amazing to be up there with your friends and to be up there with people that you basically started.”
According to Dupri, Usher’s first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 was one they completed together, so sharing the stage with the superstar was “definitely, definitely amazing.”
Dupri’s Legacy Continues!
For those who might’ve missed it, Usher’s Super Bowl performance featured Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Lil Jon, and H.E.R. The show also featured Usher and his dancers gliding across the stage in roller skates, something Dupri said paid homage to Atlanta. Dupri described Usher’s performance as “the most electrifying thing I’ve seen on TV” before giving the 47-year-old his props for putting on a brilliant performance.
As the interview was concluding, Dupri reflected on his career, saying his first No. 1 album was with Kris Kross in 1993. Then, he shifted to reflecting on his current work, specifically with Muni Long. “I got the hottest record on the streets right now with Muni Long [“Made for Me”] and it’s the biggest sensation on TikTok, and I just performed at the Super Bowl,” he said.
