Chris Brown Faces Lawsuit Over Uncredited Songwriting Credits and Royalties
R&B star Chris Brown is being sued by songwriter Steve Chokpelle, also known as Muse, over allegedly uncredited songwriting credits and unpaid royalties for two of his successful songs. The lawsuit claims that Brown, along with producers Onyekachi Emenalo (Krazytunez) and Sean Kingston, failed to recognize or compensate Chokpelle's contributions to the lyrics of "Sensational" and "Monalisa".
Chokpelle alleges that he wrote the lyrics for "Sensational", a track from Brown's 2023 album 11:11, which reached the top of Billboard's Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. The song was performed by Brown alongside Lojay and Sarz, but Chokpelle claims to have been intentionally left off the copyright registration paperwork and has received no royalties.
The songwriter also claims that he wrote the lyrics for "Monalisa", a 2022 collaboration between Brown, Kingston, and Sarz, which became a commercial success. However, despite his contributions, Chokpelle was not credited on the song and has reportedly never received any payment.
Chokpelle's lawsuit seeks a court order to declare him an author and co-copyright owner of both songs, as well as at least $1 million in damages for unjust enrichment and fraud claims against Brown, Kingston, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Publishing Group.
R&B star Chris Brown is being sued by songwriter Steve Chokpelle, also known as Muse, over allegedly uncredited songwriting credits and unpaid royalties for two of his successful songs. The lawsuit claims that Brown, along with producers Onyekachi Emenalo (Krazytunez) and Sean Kingston, failed to recognize or compensate Chokpelle's contributions to the lyrics of "Sensational" and "Monalisa".
Chokpelle alleges that he wrote the lyrics for "Sensational", a track from Brown's 2023 album 11:11, which reached the top of Billboard's Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. The song was performed by Brown alongside Lojay and Sarz, but Chokpelle claims to have been intentionally left off the copyright registration paperwork and has received no royalties.
The songwriter also claims that he wrote the lyrics for "Monalisa", a 2022 collaboration between Brown, Kingston, and Sarz, which became a commercial success. However, despite his contributions, Chokpelle was not credited on the song and has reportedly never received any payment.
Chokpelle's lawsuit seeks a court order to declare him an author and co-copyright owner of both songs, as well as at least $1 million in damages for unjust enrichment and fraud claims against Brown, Kingston, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Publishing Group.
. It's not just about giving credit where credit is due, it's also about fairness and making sure everyone involved gets paid fairly 
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It just seems like common sense to me, you know?
. I mean, what's next? Artists trying to sneak in ghostwriters or something? 
It just doesn't sit right with me.
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songwriting credits and royalties are like the bare minimum in this industry... i mean brown's been making bank off these songs for years now and it's just outrageous that some dude's trying to get paid what's rightfully his... Chokpelle should've done better research before slapping a lawsuit on browning tho 
maybe he was too busy being famous or something 
poor guy sounds like he was taken advantage of 
i feel so bad for him, giving away his work without getting anything back is just not cool at all 
this is gettin crazy fam... like chris brown thinks he can just take advantage of other ppl's work and get away with it? 
Muse (Steve Chokpelle) has the receipts and now he's fightin back for what's rightfully his 
. $1 million ain't too shabby either, that's a nice chunk change 
. It's about time someone called out these rappers for their shady business practices 
Or does it just depend on who you know? 
! I mean can you imagine pouring your heart and soul into a song only to have someone else reap all the benefits? Its not fair at all 
. Chris Brown's team should really be checking their paperwork more carefully before releasing new music 
. And its even worse when it comes to royalties - that $1 million is serious dough 
. It just goes to show that you have to fight for what's yours in this industry, and sometimes people need a little push to get the justice they deserve 
.
! I mean, you can't just ignore someone's work and expect them to be okay with it. Steve Chokpelle deserves to get the recognition and pay he's owed, no cap 
. Plus, who knows, maybe Chris Brown will come out of this with a newfound appreciation for the people behind his hits 
!
. Anyway, I'm rooting for Chokpelle on this one 