Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and Timbaland brought Triller, short-form video app Triller to court. They claim Triller must pay them $28million after purchasing Verzuz (their livestreaming rap-battleshow).
The popular Verzuz virtual fight series was founded by the two of them in March 2020. They then, less than one year later, agreed to sell it off to Triller on undisclosed terms. Swizz and Timbaland were awarded equity in Triller. They said that part of it would be divided among 43 artists who appeared on Verzuz including John Legend and Rick Ross as well as Too $hort and Gucci Mane.
According to the suit, Triller failed to make large payments to Timbaland and Swizz in January 2022. The company reached a settlement that required Triller to pay $18 million ($9,000,000 each) by March 20, along with $1 million per month over the next 10 months. The suit claims that Triller has not fulfilled the promised payments.
“To date, Defendants have failed and refused to make any payment to [Swizz Beatz and Timbaland] of the past due sums due and owing,”According to the lawsuit, filed Monday at Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Triller reps did not respond when asked.
Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and Triller sold Verzuz in March 2021. “This is a momentous occasion not only for Verzuz and Triller but the music business as a whole. By putting Verzuz in the Triller Network ecosystem and expanding the Verzuz brand to be side by side with the powerful Triller app, we will be able to continue to grow and evolve the music business as a whole, as we have been doing.”
Multiple creators have also accused Triller of not paying promised payments under the $14 million program that 300 Black influencers were to be part of to produce content for the app. Washington PostReport earlier this month.