Jacquees has a new legal fight on his hands, and this one has nothing to do with the courtroom in Denver. Jermaine Dupri and Jacquees were sued by the group Home Team over claims they stole parts of a 1992 track, according to a complaint filed September 21 in the Southern District of Florida, seeking more than $150,000.
Brothers Van and Patrick Watler, who make up Home Team, allege Dupri and Jacquees lifted lyrics and music from their song “Pick It Up” without asking or paying them anything. The complaint also names Mass Appeal Media, which released the newer track. According to the filing, the Watlers never received writer credit or a share of the profits.
The lawsuit claims the two songs share so many identical elements that copying protected portions of the original is the only real explanation. Home Team put out its version through Luke Records back on July 3, 1992, as part of their album “Via Satellite from Saturn.” The newer version arrived decades later, dropping September 22, 2023, when its music video went up online.
The Watlers are asking for writer credits and a share of the publishing income tied to the disputed track, according to All New Hip Hop. They also want a full accounting of the earnings and an order stopping further sales. The complaint claims the newer track made hundreds of thousands of dollars combined through streams, sales, radio play, and licensing deals, though it doesn’t break those numbers down, meaning the brothers will have to prove the actual figures in court. They’ve requested a jury decide the case.
This isn’t Dupri’s first music rights battle this year either. Back in August, he settled a separate $18 million dispute with Sony Music, after he and his So So Def companies accused the label of hiding or underreporting royalties tied to Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, and other acts on his roster. That case was resolved before Sony ever had to formally respond to the claims.
Neither Dupri nor Jacquees has responded publicly to the new lawsuit, and no court has ruled on whether the 2023 track actually infringes on Home Team’s copyright. For now, the case remains pending in federal court.