Rapper Nelly is facing a $10 million lawsuit accusing him of taking songwriting credit for tracks he allegedly didn’t write on his hit albums Country Grammar and Nellyville.
According to court documents obtained by The U.S. Sun, the Hot in Herre artist was sued in federal court in May, after an initial lawsuit was filed against him in Missouri state court earlier this year.
The production company D2, founded by twin brothers Darren and David Stith, filed an amended complaint against the rapper in August.
“D2 is a production company started in a local community skating rink by twin brothers Darren Stith and David Stith,” the suit stated.
“D2 was known for developing producers and talents and giving them an opportunity to further their art and careers.”
The brothers claim they played a key role in helping launch Nelly and his group, the St. Lunatics, which included Ali Jones, Torri Harper, Robert Kyjuan Cleveland, and Lavell Webb (also known as City Spud).
“They were directly responsible for finding, nurturing, and bringing to the public the music of Nelly and the group known as the ‘St. Lunatics,’” the suit read.
According to D2, the company had contracts with both Nelly and the group but released Nelly from his agreement in June 2000 after receiving a $75,000 payment.
The lawsuit alleges that Nelly later entered into a secret deal, claiming sole writer credit for songs that were actually written with the St. Lunatics.
This arrangement, the company claims, allowed Nelly and the group to avoid paying D2 the royalties it was owed.
“The Songs, which were included on the Country Grammar and Nellyville albums, sold over twenty million copies,” the suit stated.
“D2 was never paid its portion of the revenues that were legally due to D2 under Lunatic Agreements with Harper, Cleveland, and Jones (and then the Publishing Agreement), but went to Nelly instead under the Secret Arrangement.”
The lawsuit accuses Nelly and the St. Lunatics of breach of contract, fraud, conspiracy, and breach of good faith and fair dealing. D2 is seeking more than $10 million in damages.
In addition, Nelly is being sued individually for tortious interference, a claim that he intentionally disrupted D2’s business relationships with other members of the St. Lunatics.
The suit alleges that the Air Force Ones rapper “intentionally induced, and caused an interruption of D2’s contractual relationship with, and its business expectancy with, Harper, Cleveland, and Jones, by proposing, negotiating, entering into, and implementing the Secret Arrangement.”
The filing further claimed, “Nelly knew or should have known that his actions would interfere with the Lunatic Agreements and cause D2 to lose revenue it was entitled to receive from the Songs pursuant to the Lunatic Agreements, and later, through the Publishing Agreement.”
In September, Nelly, along with group members Cleveland and Harper, moved to have the lawsuit dismissed. The case remains ongoing.
