Jermaine Dupri’s legal battle with Sony Music has come to an unexpected close.
Court records show that Dupri and his So So Def companies have voluntarily dismissed their $18 million royalty lawsuit after reaching a resolution with the music giant before the case moved further through the court system. Although the dispute has been settled, neither Dupri nor Sony Music has shared any details about the agreement.
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The dismissal was filed without prejudice, meaning the claims could be brought back in court if necessary. However, for now, both sides have agreed to end the legal fight.
The lawsuit, filed in July, accused Sony Music of underreporting and failing to pay royalties connected to some of So So Def’s biggest artists over the course of their decades-long business relationship.
Among the artists mentioned in the complaint were Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Usher, Mariah Carey, Bow Wow, J-Kwon and Bone Crusher. Dupri claimed the alleged accounting issues stretched back years and involved millions of dollars in unpaid royalties and producer fees.
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According to the original filing, So So Def sought at least $18 million in damages, along with more than $10 million in interest and legal fees.
One of the largest claims involved Kris Kross’ first two albums, Totally Krossed Out and Da Bomb. The lawsuit alleged Sony failed to properly report producer and override royalties for decades, with more than $2 million still allegedly owed on those projects.
Additional claims focused on Xscape’s debut album Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha and Da Brat’s platinum-selling debut Funkdafied. The complaint also questioned how royalty balances tied to Xscape’s catalog continued to carry large negative balances decades after the group’s albums achieved major commercial success.
Dupri’s legal team argued those balances should have been cleared under Sony’s Legacy Unrecouped Balance Program, which was introduced to stop applying old unrecouped balances to eligible artists’ future earnings.
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Sony previously acknowledged the dispute after the lawsuit was filed, saying the parties had been actively working toward a resolution and expressing disappointment that litigation had been pursued instead of continuing discussions.
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Now, those discussions appear to have produced an agreement, though its financial terms remain confidential.
The case marked another chapter in a business relationship that dates back more than three decades. So So Def originally partnered with Sony in the early 1990s and helped launch the careers of several influential R&B and hip-hop artists before later moving its distribution to HYBE America in 2025.
For now, both sides are keeping the details of their settlement private, closing the book on a high-profile royalty dispute without revealing exactly how the matter was resolved.
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