Nelly Hit With $50 Million Lawsuit: Former St. Lunatics Members Claim Stolen Writing Credits on 'Country Grammar'
Nelly is facing a $50 million lawsuit from former St. Lunatics members over alleged unpaid writing credits for his 2000 album "Country Grammar."
Nelly wearing sunglasses and colorful shirt
Photo Credit: The Come Up Show / CC by 2.0
Former St. Lunatics members Ali Jones, Lavell Web, Robert Kyjuan, and Tohri Harper claim Nelly promised them writing credits during the album's recording sessions. The group performed with Nelly as backup performers and released songs like "Gimme What U Got" before his solo career.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs discovered in 2020 that they never received proper credit or publishing income for their contributions. This revelation came after learning about a separate dispute between Willie Woods Jr. (known as John Long) and Nelly regarding writing credits for "Ride Wit Me."
The lawsuit names Universal Music Group (UMG), Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), BMG, Kobalt, and Hipgnosis as defendants alongside Nelly. The plaintiffs allege that Nelly and others took full credit for creating the original compositions on "Country Grammar" while continuously promising them recognition and compensation.
Nelly at media event backdrop
Three St. Lunatics members have since dropped the lawsuit, though specific details about this development remain unclear.
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