Jermaine Dupri Drops $18 Million Sony Lawsuit Over Alleged Unpaid Royalties Tied To Mariah Carey & Usher

Usher, Jermaine Dupri, Mariah Carey

Jermaine Dupri Drops $18 Million Sony Lawsuit Over Alleged Unpaid Royalties Tied To Mariah Carey & Usher

Jermaine Dupri has dropped his $18 million lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment over alleged unpaid royalties connected to music from some of the industry’s biggest stars, including Mariah Carey and Usher. The move comes less than two months after the Grammy-winning producer and his So So Def companies filed the case in federal court.

Dupri initially accused Sony of underreporting, withholding and failing to properly account for royalties over the companies’ decades-long business relationship. The dispute covered recordings involving Carey and Usher, along with Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Bow Wow and others. He sought at least $18 million in damages.

According to Billboard, Dupri voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit after the two sides resolved the dispute. Details of the resolution, including whether any money was paid to Dupri or his companies, have not been publicly disclosed.

The legal battle began in July, when Dupri alleged that an audit uncovered millions in royalties he believed were owed to him and his companies. At the time, Sony described the case as a “royalty accounting dispute” and said the parties had already been attempting to resolve the matter before Dupri filed suit.