A multimillion-dollar fight over decades of So So Def royalties has ended before Sony Music Entertainment was required to defend its accounting in court. Jermaine Dupri and his companies have voluntarily dismissed the federal lawsuit in which they sought at least $18 million, telling the court that the parties resolved the dispute privately. No financial terms were disclosed.
The case was barely two months old. Dupri, So So Def Recordings and So So Def Productions sued Sony in Manhattan federal court on July 6, accusing the music company of failing to properly account for money generated through a business relationship dating to the early 1990s. AllHipHop reports that the complaint alleged that royalty problems involving some of So So Def’s most successful records did not become apparent until Sony began issuing new or amended statements in 2023. An outside audit followed, according to the lawsuit.
Some of the largest disputed amounts were connected to records that helped establish Dupri and So So Def decades ago. His companies alleged that Sony had not previously reported certain producer and override royalties from Kris Kross’ first two albums and claimed at least $2.2 million remained unpaid. The lawsuit also claimed substantial shortfalls involving Xscape’s Hummin’ Comin’ at ’Cha and Da Brat’s Funkdafied. Other portions of the complaint concerned music involving Jagged Edge and artists Dupri produced outside the label.
Read More: Jermaine Dupri Sues Sony Over $18M Over Alleged Unpaid So So Def Royalties
A Quick Resolution
Dupri’s complaint went beyond alleging ordinary accounting mistakes. His companies accused Sony of systematically underreporting royalties and claimed some earnings had gone unreported for years. Sony never filed a formal response to those accusations. When the lawsuit became public in July, however, the company said the disagreement involved royalty accounting that both sides had already been attempting to resolve and expressed disappointment that So So Def chose litigation rather than continuing those discussions.
Those discussions apparently continued after the complaint was filed. In an August 28 notice, Dupri’s attorney told the court that the matter had been resolved before Sony filed an answer in the case. The action was dismissed without prejudice, meaning the court did not rule on the substance of Dupri’s allegations, and the dismissal itself does not constitute a finding against either side.
What the resolution does not reveal is nearly as significant as what it does. The filing contains no settlement figure and does not explain whether Sony agreed to additional royalty payments or changes in its accounting. Dupri had originally sought at least $18 million, plus interest and legal fees.
