Two California-based music producers, Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, are taking legal action against Grammy-winning singer Tyla and music producer Sammy SoSo, whose real name is Samuel Awuku.
The duo claimed they were left out of credit and royalties for their work on Tyla’s global hit song ‘Water’.
According to the news, the lawsuit was also filed against Sony Music Entertainment. The legal documents state: “This lawsuit arises from Awuku’s improper and unlawful efforts to take sole credit for the production of ‘Water’ and to deprive Zucca and LoMastro of top-line producer credit and royalties to which they are entitled.”
Zucca and LoMastro stated that their reputations and music careers have been hurt because they didn’t receive the credit they believe they deserve. They argued that this has also cost them valuable opportunities in the music industry.
Additionally, the suit stated that “Water” has generated over $10 million in revenue since its release, with estimated earnings potentially exceeding $50 million.
The same two producers had filed a similar lawsuit back in March but dropped it on 24 July. They refiled the case the next day in California with a new attorney, as reported by Billboard.
In the current lawsuit, Zucca and LoMastro are described as “co-composers and co-authors” of ‘Water’, and they are listed among the “top-line producers,” responsible for the melody, harmonies, and lyrics.
They claim that during the March 2023 recording session, four producers contributed to the track: Zucca, LoMastro, Awuku, and another producer, Rayan El-Hussein Goufar, known as Rayo.
The pair said they handed over several audio files that were used in the final version of the song and believe all four producers should be given full credit and equal royalty shares. “Because all four producers contributed equally to the production of the song, each should be receiving full top-line producer credit and an equal percentage of royalties,” the lawsuit reads.
However, the filing claims that Awuku took full credit, signed an agreement with Tyla without informing the others, and didn’t share royalties or include them in the deal.
“In violation of plaintiffs’ rights, Awuku has taken sole credit for the entire production of the song, negotiated and entered into a producer agreement directly with [Tyla] Seethal, failed to tell plaintiffs (or Goufar) about it, and failed to cut plaintiffs in on equal terms.”
The filing
The plaintiffs also said that they tried for months to settle things privately with Awuku, but he “adamantly refused to negotiate.”
Now, Zucca and LoMastro are asking the court to officially recognise them as top-line producers and award them both future and past royalties, including a 12.5% share of the publishing royalties.
The lawsuit names Tyla as a defendant; however, it does not allege any misconduct on her part. She also has not made any public comments on the matter.
Remarkable Success of Tyla’s “Water”
Released in July 2023, “Water” remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for 29 weeks and reached as high as No. 7, and quickly became a global sensation.
It later earned a Grammy for Best African Music Performance, a win that was followed by many as she won various local and international awards, including the very first Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance..
At the age of 22, “Water” gave Tyla a groundbreaking 2024. She owned the year with incredible milestones going from strength to strength and cemented herself as a trailblazing global superstar.
The song has racked up over 1 billion streams on Spotify and more than 200 million YouTube views since its release in 2023.
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