Timbaland, Swizz Beats and Triller have brought a $28 million lawsuit against the social media app. The suit claims that Triller has not paid numerous producers since Triller purchased their rap battle program Verzuz.
In the suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, Swizz and Timbaland — whose real names are Kaseem Daoud Dean and Timothy Mosley — allege that they’d been trying to get the remainder of their earnings from the sale since the beginning of 2022. Triller was acquired by Verzuz. “unequivocally and unconditionally guaranteed to Mosley and Dean the payment and performance of Triller Hold’s obligations under that agreement and related agreements,”The suit stated. Triller and Dean Mosley did not disclose the value of the acquisition at the time. It isn’t clear how much Triller has already paid the two Verzuz founders.
Representatives for Dean and Mosley declinedRolling Stone’s request for comment.
Verzuz was created by Dean and Mosley at the start of the pandemic. It gained popularity because artists and viewers took to it while they were at home in quarantine. It quickly morphed from casual rap battles on Instagram Live into a full-fledged media company airing higher-quality productions, drawing in millions of viewers and airing special programming for the NFL’s 2021 Pro Bowl. At its height, an appearance on Verzuz could boost an artists’ streams by as much as 250 percent, as Rolling Stone Previous reports.
Verzuz signed an agreement with Apple in 2020. By 2021 Triller was looking for content to rival TikTok and bought the show. According to the suit’s claims, Triller closed the Verzuz deal on January 21st 2021. Triller was to pay Dean & Mosley shortly thereafter and on the first and second anniversary. According to the suit, Triller paid the couple in January 2021 and April 2021. But, according to the suit, by January 28, 2022 the company had allegedly defaulted with its next required payment.
According to the suit in which Triller, Mosley, and Dean entered into a new settlement agreement for payment, Triller made its first payment under that agreement. Triller wanted to raise $100 million to pay the producers, according to the agreement. Triller was required to pay the producers $18 million in February, and then $1 million every month until $28 million has been paid. Triller was accused of failing to pay all the payments.
For Triller, the suit is just the latest controversy in a growing list of allegations that the company isn’t properly paying for content on its platform. The company paid for content on its platform last week. Washington PostPublished an Comprehensive reportThe allegations were made by dozens Black content creators. Triller lured them onto TikTok, promising them a lucrative business opportunity. Triller then paid them inconsistently.
According to the, these creators are: PostThey now have to pay heavy amounts and are under threat of being evicted from their homes. And last year, Universal Music Group pulled its music from Triller, alleging the company wasn’t paying artists after using their music. (By May of 2021, the two companies made a new licensing agreement for UMG’s music on Triller.)
A statement to thePostregarding the creator program, Triller’s CEO Mahi de Silva said the company “has met its financial commitments to the creators in this program and will continue to do so. We specifically take pride in our role in creating a platform that celebrates Black creator content,”He told the newspaper. “No other medium has done as much as Triller has for this often overlooked and underrepresented part of the creator economy.”
Triller made a statement Rolling StoneWe note that the company hopes to “resolve this amicably and quickly”And that Triller is “more than optimistic the truth and facts are on our side.”
“This is truly unfortunate and we hope it is nothing more than a misunderstanding driven by lawyers,”According to the company, “We do not wish to air our dirty laundry in the press, but we have paid Swizz and Tim millions in cash and in stock. No one has benefited as much from Triller to date.”