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Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def companies have dropped an $18 million royalty lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment after the parties said they resolved the dispute, according to a voluntary dismissal filed in New York federal court.
So So Def Recordings, So So Def Productions, and Dupri filed the notice on August 28 in the Southern District of New York. The filing states the action is dismissed without prejudice under Rule 41(a)(1) because the parties resolved the matter before Sony joined the case. Neither side disclosed payment terms, accounting fixes, or a timetable.
The complaint, filed July 6, alleged years of unpaid and underreported royalties tied to recordings by Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Usher, Mariah Carey, Bow Wow, J-Kwon, and Bone Crusher. Plaintiffs sought at least $18 million plus more than $10 million in interest and attorneys’ fees.
Among the claims: producer and override royalties on Kris Kross’s early albums allegedly went unreported for decades; producer royalties on Xscape’s 1993 debut and Da Brat’s Funkdafied were allegedly understated; and a Production Share account tied to Xscape remained deeply unrecouped long after platinum certifications. The suit also argued some balances should have been cleared under Sony’s Legacy Unrecouped Balance Program.
When the case was filed, a Sony Music spokesperson described it as a royalty accounting dispute the parties had been trying to resolve and said the company was disappointed So So Def sued instead of continuing talks. The dismissal leaves Dupri free to refile because it was without prejudice. Music Business Worldwide noted it is the third Sony royalty claim it tracked this year to end by private agreement, following settlements involving Lit and Los Lobos.