British producer Sammy Soso faces lawsuit over Tyla’s hit single Water

The lawsuit was filed by Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, who claim to be co-composers and co-authors of the track. According to court documents, they are listed as co-writers on Spotify’s track credits and are seeking recognition and compensation as top-line producers alongside Rayan El-Hussein Goufar (Rayo) and Awuku.

The legal dispute, which also names Tyla and Sony Music as defendants, centres on unpaid royalties and alleged misrepresentation of production credits. The complainants argue that while the defendants have acknowledged their contributions, they have refused to recognise them as top-line producers or pay them the royalties they believe they are owed.

In their complaint, Zucca and LoMastro state that their exclusion from top-line producer credits has harmed their reputation and careers, depriving them of professional opportunities. They also contend that they were not session musicians and did not work on a work-for-hire basis, asserting that their role in the production was equal to that of the other producers.

The filing further alleges that Awuku took sole credit for the song’s production, negotiated a separate producer agreement with Tyla, and failed to inform or fairly compensate his fellow producers. Instead of dividing 50% of the music publishing royalties equally among the four producers, the complaint claims Awuku took 15% for himself, allocated 10% to Zucca, LoMastro, and Goufar, and assigned 5% to Christopher Alan “Tricky” Stewart.

Despite repeated efforts to resolve the dispute amicably, beginning in July 2023, before the song’s release, the complainants claim Awuku refused to negotiate.

The lawsuit demands that the court formally recognise Zucca and LoMastro as top-line producers and grant them full producer credits. Additionally, they are seeking a 12.5% share of the publishing royalties, pro rata master/record royalties, SoundExchange royalties, and a producer fee.

Since its release on 28 July 2023, ‘Water’ has achieved global success, amassing over 1 billion streams on Spotify and 350 million YouTube views. The track also won the first-ever Grammy for Best African Music Performance.

The case is expected to shed light on producer crediting practices and royalty disputes within the music industry.

Access the lawsuit filing below for download.

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