Tyla's 'Water' hits rough seas: songwriters file lawsuit over royalty claims
Tyla is facing a lawsuit over royalties linked to the success of her 2023 breakout song. The South African sensation’s Grammy-winning hit song ‘Water’ has been a game-changer for her career, but it seems the ripple effects of its success are now being felt differently.
As reported by Billboard, two contributors to ‘Water’ have filed a lawsuit alleging they were unfairly excluded from proper royalty payments due to what they describe as a “nefarious” plan orchestrated by one of the track’s main producers.
The California-based songwriters, Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, who worked on the chart-topping hit, filed a lawsuit on Friday, 25 July, against the 23-year-old singer and her British producer, Sammy SoSo (real name Samuel Awuku), and Sony Music Entertainment, which owns Tyla’s label, Epic Records.
In March 2023, the duo collaborated with Awuku and producer Rayan El-Hussein Goufar, known as Rayo, during a recording session in Los Angeles, creating numerous audio recordings that were used in the final version of ‘Water.’
The lawsuit claims that Awuku intentionally sidelined them by signing an exclusive deal with Tyla to take sole credit for the song's production, offering the pair only 10% each in publishing royalties while keeping 15% for himself.
The court filing further cites that the plaintiffs tried for months to resolve the matter with Awuku, but he refused to cooperate.
According to the complaint, Awuku allegedly hid his involvement in the song’s creation and duped them into agreeing to a lower royalty rate.
The plaintiffs claim they only discovered the truth in a May 2024 meeting with Epic Records President Ezekiel Lewis, where they learned Awuku had never told the label about any co-producers.
Adjust the rate, give credit
The plaintiffs are seeking official producer credits on the track and want their royalty rate adjusted to 12.5%, both retroactively and moving forward. They are also requesting a producer fee.
“Because the defendants have refused to recognise the plaintiffs’ status as top-line producers of the song and have failed to pay the plaintiffs all the royalties owed to them, the plaintiffs have each suffered injury in fact,” the complaint reads.
Zucca and LoMastro claim that being left out of the credits has cost them more than just money. It has also harmed their reputations and closed doors to new opportunities in the industry.
Additionally, the suit states that 'Water”' has generated over US$10 million in revenue since its release, with estimated earnings potentially exceeding US$50 million.
The pair once filed a suit in March 2023 against the same defendants, which they voluntarily withdrew on Thursday, July 24, before refiling the next day with a new attorney.
The lawsuit names Tyla as a defendant; however, it does not allege any misconduct on her part. She also has not made any public comments on the matter.
As reported by Billboard, two contributors to ‘Water’ have filed a lawsuit alleging they were unfairly excluded from proper royalty payments due to what they describe as a “nefarious” plan orchestrated by one of the track’s main producers.
The California-based songwriters, Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, who worked on the chart-topping hit, filed a lawsuit on Friday, 25 July, against the 23-year-old singer and her British producer, Sammy SoSo (real name Samuel Awuku), and Sony Music Entertainment, which owns Tyla’s label, Epic Records.
In March 2023, the duo collaborated with Awuku and producer Rayan El-Hussein Goufar, known as Rayo, during a recording session in Los Angeles, creating numerous audio recordings that were used in the final version of ‘Water.’
The lawsuit claims that Awuku intentionally sidelined them by signing an exclusive deal with Tyla to take sole credit for the song's production, offering the pair only 10% each in publishing royalties while keeping 15% for himself.
The court filing further cites that the plaintiffs tried for months to resolve the matter with Awuku, but he refused to cooperate.
According to the complaint, Awuku allegedly hid his involvement in the song’s creation and duped them into agreeing to a lower royalty rate.
The plaintiffs claim they only discovered the truth in a May 2024 meeting with Epic Records President Ezekiel Lewis, where they learned Awuku had never told the label about any co-producers.
Adjust the rate, give credit
The plaintiffs are seeking official producer credits on the track and want their royalty rate adjusted to 12.5%, both retroactively and moving forward. They are also requesting a producer fee.
“Because the defendants have refused to recognise the plaintiffs’ status as top-line producers of the song and have failed to pay the plaintiffs all the royalties owed to them, the plaintiffs have each suffered injury in fact,” the complaint reads.
Zucca and LoMastro claim that being left out of the credits has cost them more than just money. It has also harmed their reputations and closed doors to new opportunities in the industry.
Additionally, the suit states that 'Water”' has generated over US$10 million in revenue since its release, with estimated earnings potentially exceeding US$50 million.
The pair once filed a suit in March 2023 against the same defendants, which they voluntarily withdrew on Thursday, July 24, before refiling the next day with a new attorney.
The lawsuit names Tyla as a defendant; however, it does not allege any misconduct on her part. She also has not made any public comments on the matter.
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