T-Pain Sues Akon’s Konvict Entertainment Over Nearly $500K In Unpaid Royalties

BY Erika Marie
Link Copied to Clipboard!
T-Pain performs at the UScellular Connection Stage during Summerfest on Sept. 2, 2021.
T-Pain performs at the UScellular Connection Stage during Summerfest on Sept. 2, 2021. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
A new lawsuit claims Konvict received more than $1.3 million in T-Pain royalties but failed to pay him his full share.

A royalty dispute T-Pain thought he settled last year has landed back in court. The singer is suing Konvict Entertainment, the record label Akon co-founded, claiming the company still owes him $489,047 in royalties it received for his music. The complaint was filed in Fulton County Superior Court, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. T-Pain alleges Konvict breached both the recording agreement he signed with the company in 2005 and the settlement that ended their previous lawsuit in 2025. Akon is not personally named as a defendant. Konvict Entertainment is the only defendant in the new case.

At issue is more than $1.3 million Konvict allegedly received from a distributor in late March for T-Pain record sales generated during the second half of 2025. Under his agreements with the label, T-Pain says he is entitled to 75 percent of the net royalties Konvict receives from distributors.

According to the lawsuit, Konvict paid T-Pain $489,047 in early June. He claims that represented only half of what he should have received because another portion of the royalty payment had gone to Konvict affiliate BuVision. T-Pain alleges Konvict directed his representatives to seek the remaining money from BuVision, but those attempts did not result in a payment. BuVision is not named as a defendant.

T-Pain’s attorneys later sent written notice accusing Konvict of failing to pay the outstanding amount required under their settlement. The lawsuit says the company did not resolve the alleged breach after receiving that notice.

Read More: Akon Claims T-Pain Went Broke Trying To Keep Up With Him

T-Pain And Konvict Already Spent Years Fighting Over Royalties

The new complaint revives a financial dispute dating back to the recording contract T-Pain signed early in his career. He joined Konvict in 2005 and released the records that made him one of the era's leading voices while working under the label.

Their relationship eventually made its way to Fulton County Superior Court in 2018. T-Pain sued Konvict over money he said he had not received in connection with his fifth studio album, Oblivion. The lawsuit sought at least $400,000 over an allegedly unpaid advance and also requested royalty accountings and payments under his recording agreement.

That case remained unresolved for years as the parties went through mediation. Konvict denied liability but ultimately agreed to pay T-Pain $114,000 under a 2025 settlement, according to court records reviewed by the AJC. The agreement covered royalties collected through the end of 2024.

The disputed money now falls outside that period. T-Pain says the $1.3 million payment Konvict received in March was connected to sales from the latter half of 2025. He also told the court that he received separate royalties directly from the distributor for Freaknik: The Musical. Further, the lawsuit places Akon alongside another legal fight involving the label that helped launch T-Pain’s career, but it does not accuse him personally of withholding the money. The allegations target Konvict Entertainment and its obligations under agreements with T-Pain.

Read More: T-Pain Addresses Career Criticism, Suggests He Was Held Back By Akon

About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming the Co-Head of Original Content. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, and Amy Luciani—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

Comments 0