Co-Producer Of Tupac’s “Dear Mama” Sues Interscope, UMG & Tony D. Pizzaro For Allegedly Withholding Publishing Royalties

According to The Fader, Tupac Shakur‘s smash hit “Dear Mama” is allegedly the subject of a new alleged copyright infringement lawsuit. The song’s co-producer Master Tee had allegedly accused producer Tony D. Pizarro, Interscope and parent company Universal Music Group of allegedly “conspiring” to allegedly withhold publishing royalties.

Thomas is already credited as a producer on the track but he allegedly claims to have also co-written and co-published the triple-platinum tune, which he claims is allegedly corroborated by Tupac’s “own written account and hand-written credits.” During a 1996 interview Shakur allegedly stated: “Master Tee gave me the beat for “Dear Mama.”

The alleged lawsuit says: “Master Tee did not until very recently appreciate that the royalties which he was deriving from BMI were actually much less than he should have been receiving had his creative work been credited as it should have been from the outset.” The alleged filing allegedly characterized Thomas as allegedly “not a sophisticated business person.” His lawyers said Thomas did not know he was allegedly owed publishing royalties in addition to the producer royalties.

The filing went on to call the defendants “a self-serving group” that allegedly “misappropriated Master Tee’s publishing copyright and master recording copyright and assumed the identity of writer/publisher” of the song, which was the lead single off the late rapper’s 1995 album Me Against the World. The complaint also allegedly lists Hulu, FX Networks and Disney as alleged defendants over 2023’s Emmy-nominated documentary about the track, Dear Mama. The show allegedly has earned Tupac his first Grammy nomination for Best Music Film.

Thomas is seeking the royalties he is allegedly owed, alleged damages for alleged copyright infringement, alleged unjust enrichment and alleged theft of alleged intellectual property, as well as an alleged declaration that he is allegedly both a co-writer and co-producer by a judge. Thomas is allegedly asking for an alleged injunction that would allegedly stop the defendants from collecting any other alleged royalties from the song until the legal dispute is settled.