T-Pain is taking his former label to court, alleging that royalty payments he earned from his music are still outstanding.
The singer has filed a lawsuit against Akon’s record label over allegedly unpaid royalties connected to his catalog, turning years of public tension into a legal dispute. T-Pain gained fame after signing with Akon’s Konvict Muzik in the mid-2000s, beginning a successful run that included hits such as “I’m Sprung,” “I’m ‘n Luv (Wit a Stripper),” and “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’).” Now, he claims revenue from his recordings was not properly paid to him.
According to T-Pain, he has received only half of the money he was owed from a $1.3 million royalty payment made to Konvict by a distributor earlier this year. He says the label still owes him $489,047.
This marks the second time T-Pain has sued Konvict. His first lawsuit came in 2018, when he alleged that the label failed to pay the advance promised for his Oblivion album. That case was settled last year, and T-Pain now claims the settlement has been breached.
Akon’s history of disputes over allegedly unpaid money, however, does not begin with T-Pain.
In 2022, Akon’s former business partner Devyne Stephens sued the singer over payments tied to an earlier settlement agreement. Stephens sought $750,000 he claimed was still unpaid from a multimillion-dollar deal, along with $3 million in royalties.
The dispute also involved questions about Akon’s record label status and whether Stephens was entitled to a share of his earnings.
