R&B singer Kenny Lattimore has received only a single royalty check since the release of his latest album — and now he’s taking distributor SRG/ILS Group to court.
Lattimore filed a lawsuit on Wednesday (Feb. 18) against SRG, which handles digital distribution for indie labels in partnership with Universal Music Group’s Virgin Music. The lawsuit, first obtained and reported by Billboard, claims SRG owes him at least $100,000 in royalties for his 2021 album Here to Stay.
“Artists pour their heart, soul and life experience into the music we create,” Lattimore says of the lawsuit. “In today’s streaming world, earning a sustainable living from that work is already a challenge. So to then be denied royalties from the limited pool that exists in the first place isn’t just disappointing — it’s unjust. When creators aren’t paid for the very art that fuels the industry, that’s not a glitch in the system. It’s a travesty.”
According to the complaint, Lattimore’s distribution deal created a 50-50 split of recorded royalties between SRG and the singer’s Sincere Soul Records. Lattimore alleges Here to Stay did well and reached full recoupment status by 2022, with the single Take a Dose” hitting No. 1 on Billboard‘s Adult R&B Airplay chart. Yet despite this success, SRG has allegedly sent Lattimore just a single royalty check in the years since — a 2023 payment of just $4,400.
The lawsuit claims SRG has likely withheld more than $100,000 in royalties from Lattimore. But the singer says he hasn’t been able to ascertain the full tally because SRG hasn’t sent him proper royalty statements, even after he initiated an audit in 2024.
“SRG deliberately and systematically obstructed the audit process by refusing to produce essential source documentation, rejecting reasonable and industry-standard confidentiality accommodations and preventing any meaningful independent verification of its accounting,” write Lattimore’s lawyers.
Related
Lattimore alleges that SRG and its CEO, Claude Villani, then tried to “intimidate and pressure” him into abandoning the audit. According to the complaint, SRG executive vp Dominique Zgarka told Lattimore in 2025, “I can guarantee you that Claude’s patience is running out, and you can expect some form of counterclaim/lawsuit to come from SRG-ILS unless this matter is settled in short order.”
The lawsuit also alleges that SRG’s conduct here was “not an isolated incident.” Lattimore says SRG “has engaged in a broader pattern and practice of similar misconduct toward other recording artists,” including withholding royalties from singer J. Brown and the R&B group After 7.
Lattimore’s lawsuit brings claims for breach of contract and deceptive business practices. He’s requested a court-ordered accounting to determine the proper amount of past-due royalties that SRG must pay, plus financial damages for the alleged wrongdoing.
The singer’s attorney, Felton Newell, said in a statement, “Artists deserve transparency and to be paid what they earn. After repeated demands and an obstructed audit process, Mr. Lattimore was left with no choice but to file suit. This case is about enforcing clear contractual rights and addressing unfair business practices.”
Lattimore, who’s been a pillar of R&B music since the 1990s, tells Billboard that he hopes the lawsuit will serve as “a blueprint for younger artists that don’t have resources or the know-how to pursue the things that are owed to them.”
“Sometimes you don’t volunteer to be the advocate and to be the person who stands up for everybody, but sometimes God chooses you to be that,” adds Lattimore. “We’re not just doing this for me. We’re doing this for artists and for our rights, for things to be done properly in this business.”
A rep for SRG did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday (Feb. 18).
