Jermaine Dupri has filed a lawsuit seeking $18 million against Sony Music Entertainment, alleging long-running royalty underpayments tied to releases involving multiple artists. The suit claims Sony failed to properly pay royalties owed to Dupri and his record label for recordings associated with Mariah Carey, Usher, Xscape, Kris Kross, and other projects. According to reports reviewed by outlets including Variety and Billboard, Dupri asserts that Sony used accounting methods that resulted in withheld or underpaid amounts. Rolling Stone, Variety, and Billboard describe Dupri’s allegations as including “willful” or unlawful conduct, as well as “contemptuous” or deceptive accounting practices that he says prevented accurate royalty reporting and payment. Dupri’s complaint, filed on Monday, frames the dispute as a matter of years of improper royalty handling and seeks damages in the amount of $18 million. Sony has not been described as providing a response in the coverage summarized here, and the claims are presented as allegations pending court proceedings.