Producer Files Lawsuit
Producer Sammy Soso (Samuel Auka) has initiated a lawsuit in California regarding the hit song, Water, by South African superstar Tyla (Tyla Suffal).
The lawsuit was filed by co-composers Olmo Zukka and Jackson Lomaster, who noted in the trial that they are “two of the co-composers and co-authors of the song.”
Zukka and Lomaster are recognized as co-authors on the highway SPOTIM loans. The track was released through Epic Records, a division of Sony Music. Tyla and Sony Music are also named as defendants in the case.
Dispute Over Royalties
The lawsuit revolves around a disagreement concerning royalties, presumably regarding the compensation owed to Zukka and Lomaster for their contributions to the track, particularly about whether the Topline Pronger of the Song duet is acknowledged, which allegedly includes Ryan El Hussein Gupar and Awuku along with Auka Samuel.
According to the lawsuit obtained by MBW, which you can read in full here, it states that “the defendants admitted that (Zukka and Lomaster) are co-authors of the song, but they have firmly denied that (I) are also recognized as the primary producers, and (II) refuse to compensate them in full as they should in all instances.”
The complaint goes on to say: “The defendants’ refusal to credit the plaintiffs as the primary producers of the song has harmed their reputation and career, negatively impacting opportunities that would have otherwise been available to them.”
Since its release on July 28, 2023, Tyla’s Water has garnered numerous accolades, including the Inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance.
As of now, the track has been streamed over 1 billion times on Spotify alone and boasts 350 million views on YouTube for the official music video and audio.
According to the complaint, the recording session for Water took place in Los Angeles between August 8 and 9, 2023.
The complaint alleges that four producers were present, including Zukka, Lomaster, Goufar, and Awuku, and that “Zukka and Lomaster provided numerous audio files used in the final master recording of the song, including piano, Rhodes, bass, electric guitar, strings, vocals, and sound effects.”
It states that after the session, they “handed over audio files to the AWUKU computer,” and since “all four producers contributed to the production, each is entitled to full credit as producers and equal shares of the royalties.”
The complaint further asserts: “Zukka and Lomaster were not merely ‘session musicians’ and their contributions were not done under a work-for-hire agreement.
“Zukka and Lomaster have never received or signed documents indicating they were session musicians for the song, nor were they compensated as such. Instead, they were full producers.”
They contest that “Awuku received sole credit for the full production, established a direct producer agreement with Seethal, and failed to disclose this to the plaintiffs or allow them to participate on equal terms.”
The complaint emphasizes that “instead of each producer receiving a quarter (50%, i.e., 12.5%) of the music publication royalties, Awuku claimed 15% for himself, allocating 10% to Zukka, Lomaster, and Gupar, while giving 5% to Christopher ‘Trick’ Stüarta.”
“Despite efforts to resolve this matter with Awuku over several months, Awuku has categorically refused to agree. The plaintiffs made multiple attempts as early as July 2023—before the song’s release—to secure their rightful credit and royalties.”
Zukka and Lomaster seek a declaration from the court affirming that “each is a producer of the song” and that they “are entitled to full credit as producers, including copyright to the composition.”
They also demand “a prospective and retroactive share of 12.5% of the royalties from the song operations” as well as “prospective and retroactive rights related to the song.”
Among their requests, they seek the court’s recognition that “each of them is entitled to potential and retroactive producer royalties for the song, along with payments for their production efforts.”
Tyla producer Sammy SoSo hit with lawsuit over Grammy-winning hit ‘Water’
