Jermaine Dupri Sues Sony Music for $18 Million

Jermaine Dupri, a prominent figure in hip hop and R&B production, has initiated an $18 million lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment (SME).

According to reports, Dupri’s lawsuit, spanning 13 pages, accuses SME of deliberately underreporting and hiding royalties related to his collaborations with major artists like Mariah Carey, Usher, Kris Kross, Bow Wow, Xscape, and Da Brat. The award-winning producer asserts that SME was aware it was breaching agreements with his influential labels, So So Def Recordings and So So Def Productions, yet “never attempted to disclose its contemptuous accounting practices.”

The lawsuit indicates that “it is likely that SME did not report producer royalties to plaintiffs for producer services rendered in connection with other artists associated with the So So Def/SME deals.” It also suggests that “additional royalties due to plaintiffs have yet to be determined.” Dupri claimed that SME hid royalties owed to Kris Kross for over two decades by using a “separate royalty accounting system unknown to plaintiffs.”

Dupri’s lawyer, Chris Brown, highlighted at least seven contracts that have raised questions, covering a period of more than 25 years, suggesting that a 2025 accounting audit revealed millions that may be owed to Dupri.

In the lawsuit, they allege that SME concealed additional funds from Jagged Edge’s 1997 album “The Jagged Era” and altered royalty statements over several years, according to reports. Dupri’s legal documents describe a “systemic pattern of underreporting royalties, failures in reporting, and modifications to statements regarding previously earned royalties,” claiming that SME engaged in “willful deceitful actions designed to harm plaintiffs in their business.”

Dupri, responsible for producing and co-writing “We Belong Together” with Mariah Carey and Johntá Austin—an award-winning track at the 2006 Grammys—was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

He’s also known for his work on numerous Usher hits like “U Got It Bad,” “Burn,” and “My Boo” alongside Alicia Keys, as well as the iconic track “Jump” from Kris Kross.

Dupri produced and featured on Jay-Z’s hit “Money Ain’t a Thang” and has worked on several singles for Janet Jackson.

The Daily Caller has attempted to contact Dupri for further comment.