Seven years into a deal that helped turn Summer Walker into one of R&B’s biggest stars, her relationship with Interscope has moved from negotiations to court. The label is seeking more than $50 million over music it says she still owes, while Walker’s team argues she has the right to challenge whether the contract can continue to bind her.
“While we are disappointed that Interscope has chosen to pursue litigation, we are confident in Summer’s legal position and her right to challenge the continued enforceability of her recording contract with Interscope,” attorney Keith Moten told Billboard. He said Walker plans to “vigorously defend” against the lawsuit while pursuing legal relief of her own.
The dispute traces back to August, when Walker notified Interscope that she was terminating the agreement under California’s seven-year rule. She originally signed with Interscope and LVRN in 2017, beginning a run that produced Over It, Still Over It and Finally Over It.
Interscope says those three albums satisfy only part of Walker’s contractual commitment. The label claims she agreed to deliver five studio albums and still owes two more, along with an EP. According to Rolling Stone, releases including Last Day of Summer and CLEAR were classified as pre-album projects rather than part of the five-album requirement.
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Summer Walker Is Still Open To A Deal
California law generally limits personal-services contracts to seven years, but recording agreements occupy a more complicated corner of that rule. A 1987 amendment allows record companies to seek damages when artists end agreements before delivering the number of recordings promised under contract.
That provision is central to Interscope’s case. Rather than simply asking a court to keep Walker signed indefinitely, the company is seeking damages tied to the albums and EP it says remain undelivered. Its complaint values those missing projects at more than $50 million. Meanwhile, Walker’s camp is preparing to challenge that calculation and the agreement's continued enforceability. Moten also left room for the dispute to end somewhere other than trial. “The parties’ discussions have remained professional, and Summer remains open to a constructive resolution,” he said.
Interscope has offered a similar explanation for taking the disagreement to court, telling Billboard that it filed to preserve its legal rights before a statutory deadline while negotiations remained active. Her team has also indicated that a countersuit could follow, giving both sides another reason to keep talking before the disagreement gets any more expensive.
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