Shaboozey is a Nigerian-American country music artiste who is suing his former record company to reclaim his songwriting rights.
The singer-songwriter filed this action, saying that the company is impeding his attempts to retrieve his publishing rights, despite a contractual provision permitting him to do so.
Shaboozey’s case involves music publisher Warner Chappell; he claims the company is stonewalling his efforts to exercise a contractual provision that would give him an early exit from his deal.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 21, Shaboozey—real name Collins Obinna Chibueze—claims that an acceleration clause in his publishing administration contract with Warner-Tamerlane, a Warner Chappell subsidiary, allowed him to repay 110% of advances to accelerate the contract’s expiration.
Todd Bonder, Shaboozey’s attorney, wrote that “Warner’s conduct violates the administration agreement signed between the parties.”
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He went on to say: “To date, Warner has refused to disclose to the plaintiff the full amount of the unrecouped balance of prior advances it made.”
Shaboozey’s lawyers say he invoked that clause last month, which is perhaps not surprising given the enormous success of Bar Song.
However, they contend Warner has so far refused to even tell him how much is owed.
This lawsuit is being filed amid Shaboozey’s remarkable rise to fame with his song “A Bar” (Tipsy), which is currently the longest chart-topping run for a song in 2024 after spending six weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
Read also:Shaboozey: Meet The Nigerian-American Country Singer Topping The Country Music Charts
Kreshendo Entertainment, Shaboozey’s previous record label, is also included as a defendant in his filing.
According to the singer, Warner’s refusal to provide the vital information is because of the firm, which he left in 2019 to negotiate a new record deal with Empire.
“Kreshendo and [others] have instructed Warner not to provide plaintiff the total unrecouped balance related to advances made concerning the compositions or have refused to authorize Warner to provide such information,” according to Todd Bonder.
Shaboozey’s claim that, after Kreshendo canceled his label, he directly assumed Kreshendo’s function in the Warner contract seems to be the crux of the disagreement.
He states that Warner “has not agreed” with this view in his court documents.
In 2019, Kreshendo allegedly released three distinct Shaboozey tracks after terminating the deal, according to the lawsuit.
More, Joan Jett, and Prosperity—all without his consent. As the plot develops, Afrobeatzplus pledges to keep readers updated.
