It turns out that Nelly, the rapper extraordinaire, is being sued by his former group, St. Lunatics, for allegedly not giving them credit for their work on his debut album, ‘Country Grammar.’ Can you believe it? Talk about some drama!
Now, we don’t have all the details just yet, but here’s what we know. The St. Lunatics claim that they played a significant role in creating and producing the album, but Nelly didn’t give them the credit they deserved. They’re saying that their blood, sweat, and tears went into making ‘Country Grammar’ the hit that it was, and they want their names on it.
St. Lunatics, consisting of Ali Jones (Ali), Torhi Harper (Murphy Lee), Robert Kyjuan (Kyjuan) and Lavell Webb (City Spud), filed suit against Nelly yesterday in New York Federal Court, alleging that Nelly did not properly credit them for their contributions to his breakthrough album that propelled him to the forefront of mainstream music in the early 2000s.
The complaint, reviewed by Variety, claims that Nelly and St. Lunatics were childhood friends who grew up together in St. Louis, MO and began writing songs together in the mid-90s. Nelly and St. Lunatics were signed separate record deals at UMG, with the former planning to release his album first and the latter stating that they substantially contributed writing to his project.
Following the release of “Country Grammar,” St. Lunatics repeatedly contacted Nelly concerning their publishing and writing on the album and were assured they would receive proper credit. But at some point in 2020, they learned that Nelly had allegedly been lying to them and that he had taken full credit for their work.
The members of St. Lunatics became aware of their improper crediting after Willie Woods, Jr. filed a suit in 2020 demanding royalties for his work on the single “Ride Wit Me.” Upon learning that others were not given credit, St. Lunatics explored their legal options and sent a letter to UMG claiming ownership over their work, but were rebuffed by Nelly through his legal representatives. Because of this, St. Lunatics believe that Nelly never had any intention of giving them credit.
The current lawsuit is styled as an infringement case, with the St. Lunatics alleging that Nelly has unfairly used their songs without permission. But the first argument from Nelly’s attorneys will likely be that the case is really a dispute over ownership – and thus was filed years too late.
In a statement to Billboard, lead plaintiffs’ counsel Precious Felder Gates dismissed such an argument: “We’re not concerned about the statute of limitations and hope for an harmonious resolution. If not, we will pursue all legal remedies afforded to our clients.”
The eight songs in question include tracks like “Batter Up,” “Steal the Show” and “Country Grammar,” which became a smash hit and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
This lawsuit certainly has the potential to get messy. Nelly, on the other hand, has yet to make an official statement about the matter. We’ll have to keep our eyes and ears peeled for any updates on this legal beef.
