TI has faced no shortage of legal issues throughout his career. Now, one more has been added to his plate. Billboard reports that he’s been hit with a lawsuit by producer Sir Jinx. He alleges that he’s not been adequately compensated for his 2016 Dr. Dre collab, “Dope.”
“Despite repeated demands, including a formal demand letter dated November 11, 2022, defendants have failed and refused to provide an accounting or pay royalties owed to plaintiff,” the lawsuit alleges. This isn’t the first time Sir Jinx has taken legal action about these allegations, however.
He’s already sued TI’s company, Grand Hustle, LLC, twice. The first time was in state court back in 2023, and the second time was in federal court this year. The first lawsuit was dropped while the second was dismissed.
Sir Jinx alleges that he wasn’t aware the song was dropped publicly. “Plaintiff later discovered that ‘Dope’ was released and exploited,” his attorneys allege. “Defendants’ continued unauthorized use of ‘Dope’ has resulted in substantial financial harm to plaintiff.”
TI Lawsuit
Nov 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Rapper and entertainer T.I. watches a game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
He’s seeking damages, and alleges that he’s owed at least $800K. This isn’t the only legal battle TI is involved in, however. He and his company were sued by Cylia Senii in June. Senii created the 2016 web series “Situationships,” which shared a title with the Atlanta rapper’s own unreleased film.
“Defendants are engaging in a common scheme and effort to take advantage of the public’s association of Featherstone’s ‘Situationships’ brand by marketing their own film and entitling it ‘Situationships,’” she alleged.
A federal judge ended up siding with Senii and barring TI from producing, promoting or distributing anything featuring the term while the legal battle continues. Shortly after, he pushed back, insisting that the term is too generic to be protected and accusing Senii of failing to prove exclusive ownership of the brand.